Ulquiorra: Nocturnal Evolution Epoch
by Kisuke.LikeABoss
Summary: He didn't know who he was. He didn't know what he was. He just knew there was a girl, with red hair. If he found her, would he find out about himself. FYI- this is the part 2 to 'Orihime: Inner Spirit Rise to Power Re-Write' Now you know this is Kisuke writing, so this is an M rated story. For the blah blah blah, you know what for, hehehehe. Bleach Owned by Tite Kubo.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi Guys, I'm back :D Get ready for an interesting story. It started out with a different entrance, and then I moved and the story changed entirely as well. So the story I took 2 weeks writing has been scrapped. We will all find out together how it goes ^^. I hope you guys enjoy it. **

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Chapter 1: The Tokyo Hollow

He was in a place that made him happy. He felt tranquility here. There was vivid green grass, and a sparkling stream. He walked down to the bank of it, and came upon a woman standing there. Her back was to him, but his body knew who she was. She has long fiery red hair; her skin is a flawless frosty color. Her body was well shaped, with soft arms and long legs. It felt like coming home, when he saw her. 'Onna,' his mind utters.

He reaches out to touch the woman; she starts to turn herself towards him. Her face is obscured; he can't make out her features. What he can see, are her eyes. They are the colors of an inferno, with orange and red flecks bouncing in them. He pulls the woman into his embrace, and she is warm. He closes the gap between their bodies and brings his lips down to hers.

Suddenly he is thrust into darkness. When he can see light again, it is because he is on fire and in pain. His body is turning to ash. Through the haze he can see two figures, one is the woman, and the other is a male. This male also has red hair, but it's not lively like the woman. This mans' hair is short and spiky, and he is holding the woman as she cries.

The young man awoke abruptly, breathing heavily. It was the same dream… again. He'd been having this same dream for the past year. He had no idea what it meant, or who the people in it were. His mind was fractured. His memory goes as far back as when he arrived here in Tokyo, but before that time, everything becomes incoherent.

He lifted himself up off his mat, and walked over to the mirror on the wall. He looked at himself, as he did every time he woke up from the dream. His skin had more color since he'd got here. No longer that sickly pale, he now maintained a healthy bronze color to his skin. He pulled his hair up to look at the hole he had in his ear. It was larger than most earring holes he'd seen, but not abnormally big. He'd guessed he must have been one of those body modifying individuals.

He took off his shirt to stare at the tattoo on his left pectoral. 'What is the significance of this number? ... Was he in a gang?' he often wondered. Gazing back at his face he noted his eyes, they were an unusual green for a Japanese man, but it wasn't his eyes that bothered him so much as, he felt something was missing from his facial features. The man dragged a hand over his face, using his thumb and forefinger to draw lines down both his cheeks from the bottom of his eyes, to his jaw.

He jerked himself away from the mirror, and headed to the closet of his two room apartment to dress and leave. He'd gotten a job working at the local corner store. It was in the ally beside the store, that the old man who owns the place found him. He took a chance on the young man, not knowing anything about him and seeing as he knew nothing much about himself. But the old man was kind, and took pity on him.

On his way to work, he felt something odd. Looking left there was nothing. He looked to his right and saw the neighborhood ghosts. Yea, he can see ghosts. Most times he just ignored them, not wanting to draw any more undue attention to himself. But sometimes, like this time, there were things he couldn't ignore.

When he saw the giant monster heading straight towards him, what he did next was instinctual. He ran into the ally and over the gate that blocked the path to the other side, he was so fast anyone who might have seen him, would have thought he'd disappeared. He ran as far and as fast as he could to get the thing away from the crowded street. He wound up in a skate park with only a few bystanders in the far off ramp section of the park. So here is where he prepared himself for the confrontation to come. There were only one thing he was sure about… he wasn't like everybody else.

Urahara Kisuke didn't usually head into the city, nor did he do so this late in the evening. But when Kurosaki Karen tells you she needs a higher dosage of Hollow Repellent, and she's the sister of the man who pretty much saved the world, there was no other option for Kisuke. Besides this gave him some much needed thinking time, to decide what he can do about Ichigo's situation. The former substitute Shinigami has completely lost his power. He has become withdrawn from everyone. Kisuke was trying to find a way of returning that power. Right now he was at a loss as to how to go about it.

Unexpectedly Kisuke felt a rise in reiatsu and the presence of a hollow. Maybe there were two, as the rising reiatsu was that of a powerful hollow. Was it Arrancar level? Kisuke pulled his van into a skate park, where the spiritual pressure was coming from. Looks like Karen will have to wait another week for that repellent. The Geta-boshi decided to take a walk through the park, taking Benihime with him.

Kisuke came upon the hollows in the trees of the park. He thought to make quick work of them, but one of them… was human? He was fighting off and taking the other hollow down. The human was medium height, with shoulder length, shaggy, black hair. He looked to be about 17 or 18 years old. He seemed to be the one with the high amount of reiatsu. With rapid succession the boy pounded and clawed at the hollow. From his hands there was a spark of light. It flashed green, when it was gone the hollows' mask was split and it was dissipating.

Kisuke watched as the human boy collapsed. He walked calmly over to him, where he could see blood coming from the young man's side. He was injured enough that Kisuke wouldn't leave him there. He bent to pick him up, when the shop keeper saw the tattoo on his chest. This hollow/human boy… was also an Espada? Kisuke took another look at the boys' face and sensed his reiatsu once again. The eyes of Urahara Kisuke widened in amazement at that moment.

The boy looked up at the Geta-boshi, when he awoke from his involuntary slumber. The shop keeper introduced himself, saying he was a friend and could help him to figure out what had happened to him.

"I believe you are someone who was supposed to have died, about a year ago. I don't know how you are alive after what happened to you," Kisuke told him. "But if you'll let me, I'd like to question you a little, and run a few tests."

The boy was leery at first, but when he started to say things that made sense, as impossible as they were; he agreed to let the man conduct his tests. The only thing he wanted was to phone the old man from the store. It would only be fair to let him know he wouldn't be in for a while. Then he was given a guest room. The room was filled with books, from Popular Mechanics to Modern Science. He read them all before the night was through. He was just readying himself for bed, which he dreaded as usual, when he came upon another book.

This was a photo album. He lifted the book from its resting place on the shelf. He flipped through the pictures; most were of the weird shop keeper, a tall muscular man with glasses, and two children. He was coming to the end of the album, when he came upon a few pictures that he showed some interest in.

These pictures were of a group of young adults. A few were of a burgundy haired, tattooed male, there were words written next to him name, saying "Freeloader". In some of these there was a female, she had short black hair and stern eyes, and she was punching the freeloader. The next set of pictures was a group of 4 youths; they were all laughing, and seemed to be very happy.

There was a boy with straight bluish-black hair and glasses, his title was written as "The Quincy". In this same photo was a tall, dark-skinned, Hispanic-looking male, he had no title but written near his name was simply "Chad, you're tooooo quite!" With the next snapshot, the hollow/humans' insides became twisted with apprehension. First when he was looking at the red haired boy, with a scowl on his face, then the other print with of an attractive female with slate grey eyes. But it was her hair that caught his attention. She was so familiar and similar to the red haired woman in his dreams. He flipped further into the album and noticed the facial features of the female changed.

She was ecstatic at the beginning of her series of pictures, but in the end her entire demeanor changed. She was no longer holding a true smile, these seemed to be forced. The light in her eyes was destroyed; she seemed like a harsher person. He felt remorseful to her, for a reason he couldn't fathom. He removed the photo and placed it at his side when he lay down on the mat. He stared at it until he could no longer force his eyes to remain open. He fell into an uneasy sleep once again.

It took a few weeks but, Kisuke now knew what it was that flashed green light from the boy. He could concentrate his reiatsu, to create short and long spikes. And he can do this with quick repetition without losing stamina. He had the ability to leap to astonishing heights and his reiatsu was soaring.

The hollow boy told him what he knew which, wasn't much. He woke up in an alley covered in soot, and his clothing was torn. A gentleman took care of him and he found his bearings. Kisuke noticed the hole in his ear, one thing was for sure, and THAT was where his hollow hole now resided.

"So do you know the significance of this?" the young man asked him about the tattoo.

Kisuke hadn't yet decided what to tell him about that. "That is your rank, within a rather particular group. The number you held before was the rank of 4. My guess is that when you died, and returned you attained the highest rank of 0."

From what he understood of the account from Uryū about what had happened above Las Noches, the Cuarto Espada could form green lances, which were extremely destructive, and upon releasing a second Resurrección, his spiritual pressure was mind boggling. But seeing as this boy was not entirely that man, Kisuke was curious as to how he came to be alive and what other power lay hidden beneath that tanned skin of his. So far they knew that he was half hollow and half human. He told him that he thinks he knows how he came to be, but needed further information to confirm his suspicions. That would require a certain person he wasn't ready to introduce to the boy yet.

Inoue Orihime woke up this morning as she did most mornings. She got out of bed, which lately she hated to leave. Her dreams over the past year had started to become harder and harder to forsake. It was always about the man she lost. She would stand by the brook in her inner world, waiting for him to come to her. She would turn around and he would be standing there reaching out to her. When he finally did reach her and hold her, he would disappear all over again. The dream would then, often shift to the moment of his death.

She'd have to watch him, scatter into the wind above Las Noches. She was not able to hold her composure when this happened, especially knowing, she was the reason he died. If she would have reassured Ulquiorra of her heart, and that he was the only one that held a special portion of it. If she hadn't giving in to the 'nothingness', Ichigo wouldn't have morphed into the beast. If she hadn't lost control over her emotions she wouldn't have imploded, causing the conflagration that dusted her lover.

Before she broke down… again, Orihime rose from her bed and readied herself for another suffering day at school, until she went to work at the bakery. She dressed in her school uniform, grabbed a loaf of bread and headed out the door. Tatsuki was waiting for her on the corner, so they could walk together.

"How's things today Orihime?" she asked her best friend. "You're starting to look a bit better."

"Tatsuki…," she was about to unload all her angst onto her best friend, but stopped herself. She smiled at her friend saying, "Thanks Tatsuki, I'm fine."

"Hmmm," was the only sound that came from the black belt. Tatsuki only knew so much. She understood that Orihime went through an ordeal. She knew that the insane man with the purple eyes was the cause of it. She knew that that man was no longer around to cause trouble. She even knew that Orihime had fallen in love with someone. Tatsuki was glad to hear that Orihime was no longer pinning over Ichigo, but now she was despondent all the time because the man she loves is no longer around. They walked the rest of the way in silence.

As they walked Ichigo was coming up from the other way. All three students looked at each other, but Ichigo held Orihime's gaze longer, then he turned into the school without a word. Orihime looked down at the ground and turned to head into the school, when she impulsively turn to the left and started running. Tatsuki was yelling after her; however the girl was no longer as fast as the weaver princess.

Orihime just couldn't do it today. She couldn't look at Ichigo and not feel that she failed both him and Ulquiorra. And he would always be a reminder of her failure. So she just ran, far away, as fast as she could. Using her flash-step, she didn't care if someone saw her at the moment. She ran to the park, the same park she had met Ulquiorra before he took her Hueco Mundo.

Orihime sat down on the bench and started to weep. Her tears were not as frequent as they used to be, for she had learned a long time ago to harden herself against them. She straightened her back and wiped the few tears that fell; as she did she felt the presence of a hollow.

This was nothing new to her. Since getting back from Hueco Mundo, it was up to her, Uryū and Chad, to keep Karakura town safe from the invaders. Given that Ichigo lost his abilities, it was Orihime that the group looked to as the de facto leader. She was the strongest of them, and as such she trained every day in Urahara's cellar. It was only the last few weeks that Urahara asked her to stop coming by for a while. Something about a project he'd be working on, that he couldn't have her there causing distraction.

Feeling the reiatsu, the hollow nearby would be a piece of cake; it was nothing more than a low level. "Roku Kotan Hana's combine!" she was ready. This would do her some good, she needed to get back into shape, and heighten her senses.

The hollow came up from behind the swing set crashing through it like it wasn't even there. Orihime flash stepped to it, butting it with her sword handle in its oversized gut. The hollow fell forward, but caught a hold of the girl as he did. So the weaver princess sliced his arm off. The bellow of the creature was loud and in agony. Orihime would put it out of its misery; she brought her orange sword up and slashed it back down over the mask of the hollow. It was gone as quick as it came.

Just as she was about to put her sword away, another hollow appeared. No, not one, there were dozens heading her way now. 'Shit, I don't need this now!" she thought to herself. But she readied herself for the conflict. She slashed and collided with the hollows as they came at her, then out of the corner of her eyes she saw a flash of light. A boy had entered the fight with her. She recognized him immediately, and smiled. There's nothing like having a Quincy for backup when you needed it.

Uryū blazed onto the scene with a rain of arrows on the hollows that attacked his friend. He knew she could handle herself, hell he knew better than most how strong she was. That didn't mean he wouldn't worry over her, and want her safe as Ichigo ask of him before his power was gone. He wasn't alone either when he came upon the battle. Chad was right behind him, and he could see the tall Mexican-Japanese man firing off his Gigante at the hollows present. They looked at each other and grinned.

"Inoue-san, you wanted to have fun without us again," Uryū joked with the girl. Seeing her smile up at him filled his heart with ease. As long as Orihime was fighting, she wasn't crying. As long as she wasn't crying she wasn't thinking about… _him_. The three team members commenced in diffusing the band of hollows.

Kisuke felt the mob of hollows enter the World of the Living. He knew if he could feel them down here in the training basement, then his charge who was down here with him, would feel them even more than he. Looking at him now, the boy was anxious. Looking to the ladder that would lead to his exit of the training session and out into the street where the hollows were causing destruction.

"You want to go there, I know," the shop keeper informed the boy. "But there are plenty of people out there right now that can handle the situation. And you're not ready to confront certain individuals yet."

Without warning an incredible amount of spiritual pressure was released on the grounds above them. Kisuke knew who it was, and quickly turned to the boy as he made a run for the ladder. The boy made his way up the ladder and out the door of the candy shop. Kisuke could only tell Tessai to give him a hand wrangling him back in, before he saw the source of that release. There was no telling what they would do, when they met again.

Orihime was surrounded by hollows as Chad and Uryū fought off their opponents. She was starting to become overwhelmed, needed to act fast. "Daidaiiro Keiko Hana," she yelled and she swiftly released her spiritual pressure. First she became surrounded by an orange cocoon, when she emerged she had her katana in hand and her orange lamellar armor.

The samurai weaver princess battered the hollows surrounding her. She cut them down easily, and took on the ones overcoming Chad and Uryū. While she crushed them down, the hollows began to converge on each other. They merged and formed an even greater threat. The now, singular hollow was enormous and his foot came crashing down in Orihime's direction. She had no time to move out of the way. She was going to be smashed into the dirt, when suddenly she was thrust out of the way.

A new comer had joined the fight and abruptly put a halt to the assault on her. She couldn't see very well as there was so much light blinding her. She lifted herself up and flashed to the top of the hollow. Another green flash came at the hollow, and she slashed her orange katana to slice the mask of the newly formed leviathan of a hollow.

When she landed on the ground her back was facing the boy. She heard a sharp intake of breath, coming from behind her. She could see Uryū and Chad in front of her, their eyes wide with surprise. So she slowly turned herself around to face the man. She only caught a glimpse of the dark haired male before he was tackled and wrapped up in a sack by Urahara Kisuke and Tessai.

"Oh well, Hey there Inoue-san… you're looking quite the delectable treat this afternoon," the perverted shop keeper smirked at her, as he struggled with the package underneath him. Tessai was body slamming it as Kisuke elbowed him, in what appeared to be his face. The bag was bellowing at him, while Kisuke was whispering to the man inside, "Shhh, we will talk about this when we get back home."

"Urahara-san…?" Orihime questioned him. When she spoke, the bag jumped high into the air, Kisuke had to hold it tightly. The Geta-boshi looked to Orihime, and pleaded with her to stay quite. She gave him a sideways glance, but stayed quite.

"This will all be explained, when the time comes Inoue-san, really, but right now I need to get this… experiment back to the shop," he gave her the only reply he thought reasonable. Then Kisuke picked up the bag, with the boy inside and headed to the van, and drove away.

Orihime was left there looking stunned; she turned to look at Uryū and Chad. With a questioning look to them, she stomped her way to them, releasing her reiatsu making her armor illuminate brightly. She was getting angry, and they both knew bad things could happen when she was angry.

"What was it that had you both astounded, you couldn't speak?" she asked both young men. They looked at each other; Chad shook his head at Uryū. Uryū shrugged his shoulders at Chad. Both boys didn't know what to say, but it was Uryū that had the courage to speak of what he saw.

"Inoue-san, please remain calm," he began. But of course saying this made her brighten even more, making the Quincy slightly nervous. He walked to his friend and placed his hands on her shoulders before he spoke the next sentence. Giving one last glance at the tall Mexican, he told her, "We just saw… … Ulquiorra Cifer."

The weaver princess was gone just as he finished his sentence, and Uryū knew then that Urahara-san was about to have a really, really bad day.

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**A/N: *hands shake nervously* Please Read and Review :P**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Awesome response, thanks guys. Here's your reward, enjoy :D**

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Chapter 2: Another Night, Another Dream

Kisuke just got Ulquiorra back in the basement and rolled him out of the sack. The look on the hollow's face could kill. He stood from his fallen position, and raced back at the shop keeper.

"What the hell was all that about!?" he yelled. "I thought you said you'd help me! There was something about the girl! I can't figure it out, but something about her… I… I… I have to go back to her!"

Kisuke felt sorry for the boy, but now was not the time to get those two together. He didn't know what would happen. Orihime had been working non-stop to get the Espada off her mind over the past year. She came here every day, worked out her anger, frustration and sadly her feelings of guilt. Kisuke had no doubt that she would be jovial in seeing him once again, alive, but he wasn't the same man she knew. And on top of that, he had no clue as to who she was. She would be devastated when they met again. If she lost control over her emotions again, she could be a threat to this world.

"I promise you, you will meet with her one day. However, I can't let you two be together at this time. It would be ill advised to do so," he told the boy.

Ulquiorra just stared at him; he couldn't comprehend the Getai-boshi's reasons for a simple meeting between the two. As he stood there before the shop keeper, he could feel a presence approaching the store. Again he felt the urge to run to it. However this time Tessai was there and he quickly bound him with Kidō.

"Thank you, Tessai," Kisuke told the former Kidō Corp's Captain.

"Of course, Taishō," he said respectfully to his friend and former Captain of squad 12. Along with the boy bound and silence they deposited him into a Gigai, so what was headed their way wouldn't be able to sense for him. And with that Kisuke made his way up to the candy shop, to acknowledge the incoming terror.

Orihime flew in the direction of Urahara's Candy Shop; all the while her mind was racing. 'Was it really him? It couldn't be… there's no way he could be alive. I saw him die, he was ash!' She was at the shop keeper's entryway, but at the door blocking the way was Urahara Kisuke himself.

"Urahara-san!? Is there something you want to tell me?" she asked angrily. She looked like she was ready to pounce on the Geta-boshi.

With a mischievous look, he grinned at her stance… he might like her pouncing him, but that was something he couldn't say out loud at this moment, she might set him afire. "Nope, not a thing, Inoue-san," he calmly and casually told the samurai. She did look amazing in her lamellar armor, but she was one deadly being when she wore it.

Her armor flared orange light signifying her anger was growing. As she did the sides of his entrance were being ripped apart. "The guys said they saw… they saw… _him!_ Is that true Urahara-san!?" she was fuming, and yet also hesitant. She both luxuriated and feared the thought of his return. She wasn't looking to the pervert but past him, as if she could find her answers in the atmosphere of the shop.

Kisuke calmly pulled the girl in a swift embrace, and spoke softly "What is happening here, right now, I cannot reveal to you as of yet. But please understand I have never done anything without a reason. After I have gathered more information I promise you, you will understand and discern all."

"Just please, tell me… is it?" she paused; she looked to his face to find the answer. "It is him, isn't it?" Kisuke's silence, spoke volumes to Orihime. It was him. It was her lover… Ulquiorra Cifer. He was alive. "What is wrong with him? You wouldn't do this to me, if nothing was wrong!"

"Inoue-san," now Kisuke's voice dropped an octave, it was the voice he used when he became ruthlessly serious. Releasing her, he picked up his cane and pointed it at Orihime's chest. She could feel the power of Benihime radiate from the end. She backed away slightly. "This is not the time, for this conversation, I will ask that you please exit the shop and come back only when I call upon you."

Orihime was thinking only of herself, she knew that. But she really needed to know what was going on, she backed away more and steadily headed away from the shop. She might not find out now, but she will know what was happening! There was no way even the genius former captain, would keep her out of the loop for too long.

The weaver princess, left the shop, left the street, and headed for her home. She would not be working this afternoon. She walked up to her room, and jerked the door open. Promptly thereafter, she slammed it. She removed her shoes, and threw her school bag to the ground. She needed to calm down; if she got too angry she would implode again.

She sat on the floor in front of her couch, crossed her legs before her, shut her eyes and meditated. She would enter her world, where she could cool down and talk to Horou Hanahime. She sucked in slow, deep breaths and exhaled them in the same manner. Slowly the multihued prism surrounded her, cocooning her into her inner world and slowing her time down. When she opened her eyes again, she was there. She'd been here so many times since her implosion, the scenery rarely changed.

She stood up and walked to her home inside her world. The hut that used to stand off the bank was now a modest ranch style home. It was still made of the hardest metal, titanium. But the wood planks were not exposed and smoothed over as if sanded down. The roof that looked old and decayed now had beautiful terracotta tiles. She looked over the landscape and took note of all the changes that occurred here. The flowers were always on full bloom, the jewels sparkling brightly in the sunshine. The stream that was once only made of gleaming silver now had flecks of gold in it.

When she entered the home, she expected to find her hollow half in there, waiting as she did these days, for her arrival. But Horou Hanahime was not inside the house. She hadn't left this place since they blasted half of Hueco Mundo away. There was only one other place Orihime could think, that her hollow would go… and she wanted to go there as well. The weaver princess made her way down the bank, and headed in the direction of the dark side of her world.

Ulquiorra was still bound by Tessai's Kidō inside the Gigai, when Kisuke made his way back down to the training cellar. The shop keeper was slightly shaken by his encounter with the flaming samurai. The hollow was struggling against the binding, and looked to be about to break free. Kisuke glanced at the Kidō Master and gave a swift nod, indicating his compliance with the release of the prisoner.

"So, you wanna have a discussion now? Or are we gonna keep this up?" the Geta-boshi asked of the hollow man. Ulquiorra gave an abrupt nod and sat on the ground, with an elbow on his knee, and one hand holding up his face. He was scowling… it reminded Kisuke of Ichigo's face.

"That girl, what do you know of her!? She is someone who is important to me, I can feel it!" he started to bellow at Kisuke. The older man simply nodded his head at the boy. The look of anxiety on the man's face gave Ulquiorra pause. What was he hiding from him? Why could he not even put his eyes on her? These were his unasked and unanswered questions.

"You share a past with her, until you can find your memories of that past; I cannot allow you two to meet each other. The consequences could be disastrous," Kisuke told him. "Give it time, you are slowly regaining them, trust me when I say, this will be better for both of you."

"What do you think would happen if we see each other before then?" he wanted to know.

"I fear that, the sudden influx of information you might attain when seeing her, in person, will damage both your psyches. Hers would be damaged due to your condition, while yours would be a system overload," Kisuke informed him. "And for her, a damaged psyche could mean the end of this world." The sound of the Geta-boshi's urgency in this stayed Ulquiorra's unrest. "Now let's get back to work, shall we?" He was upbeat again.

"I think I would like sometime alone right now," the human hollow told them. He then walked up into the candy shop and through the hall to the guest room. He threw himself onto his mat that lay in the corner of the room. He slid his hand beneath the pillow his head rested on, and pulled out the picture he'd removed from the album when he first arrived here.

'This is you, isn't it,' he told the picture. 'You are her, aren't you?' He traced the lines of her forlorn features with the tip of his fingers, grazing them over the slate grey eyes, down her jawline, around to her lips. Some of them were different from what he recalled in his dreams, but this was her, he just knew it from the bottom of his soul. He closed his eyes then; he wanted to see her again. He fell asleep just like that, holding the girls' picture to his chest.

"So we meet again, here in this dark shit hole!" a voice came from the darkness, when Ulquiorra opened his eyes again. He couldn't see his hand in front of his face, it was so dark.

"Who is that? Where am I?" he asked the disembodied voice.

"Ahh, geeez not again!" the masculine tone came again. "Cifer c'mon man after all the work we did you're gonna go and forget me? ME!? I'm the second most important person to you!"

The hollow boy searched the darkness again, when a figure began to appear. It was a tall man, but wait, he wasn't a man. His legs and feet seemed odd. They looked like they belong to an animal. The shape came closer to him. He could now make out some facial features. The being seemed to not have eyes, just slits filled in with nothing but blackness. His hair was exceptionally long. Upon further inspection, Ulquiorra could see that the feet and legs were that of a… GOAT!?

"What are you!?" the half human stepped back.

"Hmm," it sighed, and looked down towards the ground. He seemed to be looking at something by his feet. "I guess we might have to take this one, day by day. See I learn from my mistakes, no more trying to force myself on you and all," he winked at the boy.

The confused boy hollow didn't know what to do. He searched for a way out of this bleak place. But then he thought about it again. 'How did I get here to begin with?' he asked himself.

"Shit man! That's the easy question! You're asleep in the real world," the creature answered his unasked question.

'FUCK!' he screamed inside his head. "How… how did you do that!?" he asked.

The beast rolled his eyes at him. ROLLED HIS EYES!? Then it came to sit beside him. He gently raised his arm and wrapped it around his shoulders. As he sat down there was something moving at Ulquiorra's feet. When he could see it more clearly, he sucked in a sharp breath. There at his feet, was a huge humanoid bat-thing! It settled its head on the lap of the 'man' beside him.

"Ok, listen… I'm not going to make you eat my eye this time… unless you force me to!" it told the startled boy. "The main thing you need to know right now is we've connected again. And judging from my form, I can safely assume you haven't tried to block your emotions this time. That's a good thing." He smiled down at Ulquiorra. "Knowing this I would say you found the waver princess again. SWEET!" The creature was jovial.

"Alright! That's it!" Ulquiorra yelled, and jumped of the boulder he was sitting on. "I have taken all this shit in stride, trying to come to grips with everything, even without having a clue about what it all means. But this? This is nuts! There is a talking goat in my head and he has a faqin pet bat! A faqin LARGE pet bat, at that!" Ulquiorra felt as though he were going insane, and started to panic.

"Relax little man! I'll help you to understand, it's my job to do so," he said evenly. He stood up and placed his large hands on either side of Ulquiorra's face. "We are you. You are us. It's that simple."

"Whadafaq is simple about that!?" he continued to yell.

"Haaahh…" the being sighed again. This might be harder then he thought. "Hmmm, I'm not sure what to tell you or what you can handle right now… Let's try this," he sat down on the ground in front of the boy, pulling him down with him. "Can you think of what my name could be?"

"Hell no, how the hell would I …?" Ulquiorra started, but a name did pop into his mind at that moment. "Shin… Shin…" his voice trailed off. He was looking at the goat man with wide eyes.

"YES! That's good… I knew you couldn't forget me that easily!" the man was elated again. "Now if you can get the rest of it, we're golden!" The boy dropped his head down in dejection, he couldn't think of any more than that. As they sat there contemplating the issue at hand, there was a rustling sound coming from above them. They each turned their attention from each other, to look up at where the sound was coming from. The creature beside Ulquiorra, simply smiled.

Orihime came upon her hollow. Horou Hanahime was squatting beside the tree. It grew here over the course of nearly half a millennia, which was only a year for the outside world. It was no longer the barren scary remains it used to be. Gone were the spiky thorny branches, and in their place grew green and white leaves. The trunk of the tree was a spiral color of green and white as well with splashes of an orange tint. It no longer looked like a fossil; it was a tree that was full of life.

Horou was looking to the base of the tree, trying to find an opening, of any kind. When she looked up she found Orihime staring at her, in bemusement. "Horou what are you doing?" she asked her.

"Orihime… can't you feel it?" she turned back to the tree, and began digging at the base. "I feel him; I can feel Kanzen in there." At the pronouncement of the Ulquiorra's soul's name, Orihime's heart pounded hard in her chest. "I know he should be gone, but he's there. I have to get him out. He never liked being alone, especially inside this tree."

Orihime stepped to the tree, and placed her hand on the trunk. She felt the spiritual pressure radiate inside, she knew it was Ulquiorra in there. She brought her sword to the trunk, and then stopped herself. 'If she tore open the tree, would it die?' she thought. Last time she slashed this tree, it was dead, so there was no hesitation, but this tree wasn't lifeless. If she broke its flesh it would be like tearing Ulquiorra open. She couldn't do that.

"Horou… I think it would hurt Ulquiorra if I try to pierce the tree," she asked her hollow half.

Horou looked up at Orihime again, and then stood by her side. She wrapped her arms around the weaver princess. Lifting her hand to the back of her cranium, Horou placed Orihime's head on her shoulder. She stroked the young girl's hair lightly, as Orihime wrapped her arms around her hollow's middle. "We could try to converse with them… like how Kanzen and I communicated the first time," she spoke then, and the weaver princess's face shot up to look at Horou's.

Orihime pulled her hollow closer to her and planted the biggest kiss on her lips. "That's it!" she yelled. "Oh my gahd, why didn't I think of that, hahaha!" She was ecstatic at this turn of events.

They both turned to the tree then, placed their hands on it and Orihime spoke. "Hello..?"

The men in the abyss heard the sound, it was muffled and hazy but the words could be discerned. There above the space, was a woman, speaking to them. "Hello…?" were the words. It was the former Kanzen who understood who it was, and what was happening, before his counter-part.

"I knew she would figure it out," he said.

"She? Who is that? How is this happening?" Ulquiorra asked, franticly. He couldn't control his emotional response to the sound of the woman. Judging from the man next to him, this seemed to be the thing he was waiting for. He however was having an unexpected reaction. His heart was pounding and his stomach felt like he needed to vomit. His feet wanted to fly him to the roof of this cavern and tear at it, to escape. And when he did get out, he wanted to find that woman who spoke and captivate her.

Without thought as what he was doing, Ulquiorra leapt at the roof. He crashed his body into the ceiling, determined to find her. His hands and feet enlarged with green claws he'd never known before, they held him to the ceiling; he continued to bash at it. As he did this, the goat man below was dancing in a circle, stomping his feet, raising his hands over his head and he was making hooting sounds.

"Don't stop, get it, get it!" Kanzen was singing. 'That's it boy, you get your woman… and I get mine!' he thought to himself as he watched his soul's body work on the tomb's roof.

Ulquiorra bashed, and pounded at the ceiling, harder and harder. Finally the roof started to give way, and he fit his fist through it, he felt the touch of a hand clasp onto his. Abruptly at the touch his body let go of its hold and plummeted to the ground below. The hollow boy, jumped from his laying position on his mat. He was back inside the perverted shop keeper's guest room. 'Huh?' was his only thought at that moment.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: This is a short chapter for the transition into the next big scene of events, hence the title of the chapter. Enjoy the segue...**

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Chapter 3: Transitions

She had him, for a moment SHE HAD HIM! Orihime had just spoken one word, when suddenly the tree started to thump. Then… it thumped again. She and Horou Hanahime stood back as the tree began to knock and bump. The reiatsu coming from the trunk, without a doubt, belonged to Ulquiorra. Her heart crashed against her chest, the thought of her lover trying to escape his catacomb, brought butterflies to her stomach.

Then the stem of the tree began to open, freeing a hand. When Orihime saw the hand, she ran to it and grabbed it as tightly as she could. But as she came into contact with it, it was gone. Her heart sank. Then she heard someone talking inside the hole, which still remained in the tree.

"Oi!" the voice came from within. "Oi! Weaver princess! Longtime, no see, hahaha!"

"Kanzen!? Is that you?" Orihime just got the question out, when Horou pushed passed her to view the man inside.

"Kanzen? Can you get to me?" she asked him.

"Ahh, such a lovely sight, I've not seen in so long," he said sincerely. He could see the hollow woman as he rode atop Murciélago. He wedged his hand through the cavity to lace his fingers with hers. "Closer, I want to touch you more," he asked of her. Horou brought her face to the opening, where Kanzen preceded to glide his fingers over the stunning lips and cheeks of his hollow princess, her eyes blazed at his touch. "Woman, when I get out of here, there are so many things… phew! So many things I want to do with you," he insisted.

Orihime watched as her hollow smiled wide at her paramour, holding his hand at her cheek. The vacant space only allowed that small comfort, but it was enough for them. It would have been enough for her too, but she had yet to get this moment with Ulquiorra. She had to turn herself from them. Their happiness was going to be the end of her. She would spend her time now on the bank of her stream.

"We gotta talk Horou," he told his lover. "Until I can get the Cifer to listen and understand, we have to keep those two crazy kids apart."

"WHAT!?" she yelped. "They have been apart for too long already, as you well know! How long did you stay trapped in the void this time...? You don't know?! 474 years Kanzen!" this was the first time the hollow princess raised her voice. It surprised the soul in the void. "Now I want to know how to get you out of there!"

"That's just it; you can't open this void up, only Cifer can. The tree is alive, because part of Cifer is alive. And it will only open up when he gets the desirable information at the appropriate time. He can get us both out of here then," he informed her.

Horou Hanahime's shoulders sagged slightly. "What do I need to do?"

"Right now nothing much, but she needs to talk with that weirdo Geta-boshi. He knows things that I think can help her. I need to train with Cifer, and he's not going to like it. Just keep weaver away for a while," he suggested, and he was gone once again.

She could do nothing but think. She thought of the time they spent here, the ways he had made love to her. She thought of the feeling, of wanting it to go on, forever. She wanted his caress, and his kiss. She just wanted him.

Orihime was walking along her brook, when Horou came up to her. "Orihime…?" she asked.

"Ahh, Horou… you didn't need to come for me, please spend all the time you need with Kanzen. I know you have waited longer then I have for his return," she told her hollow.

"No, Orihime that's not it. He and Ulquiorra have things to work on, before they can be free. And you have things to do on the outside," she advised her soul's body. Orihime gave Horou a questioning look. "Urahara-san, he holds the answers you need now."

At this information Orihime made herself ready, to return to the candy shop. Before she left a shout came from the hole in the tree.

"Weaver… Don't worry," Kanzen called to her. "I have him with me now. I can get him back for you. I promise." Orihime turned back to the abyss, with Horou smiling and looking at her. She gave her hollow the most assured smile she could, walking away as her world melted from view.

She awoke in her living room, in the spot she left here in. She rose from the floor when she heard a beeping sound coming from her school bag. She had to search for it, seeing as she tossed it across the room when she entered her home.

Lifting it from the ground she reached into the side pocket and retrieved her phone. The message read; Pervert: We need to talk Inoue-san, please meet me in the training basement. 'So Urahara-san did know something,' she thought to herself. Grabbing her bag she left the small room, and ventured back to Kisuke. 'Now she would know everything!' she vowed.

Ulquiorra didn't know what had just happened, but he felt like he'd been cheated. That woman, she was so close, he touched her. Turning quickly he retrieved the image of her. He watched the vacant eyes stare back at him. 'What made you so melancholy, Onna?' he wondered. He could hear steps getting closer to his door. He was sure it would be the shop keeper, come to fetch him for more drills.

Kisuke knocked on the boy's door, and waited patiently for his reply. When he was granted entrance, he walked in. He saw the boy atop his mat, holding a picture. The Geta-boshi already knew what photograph it was. He allowed the hollow that small comfort. Apparently it would take more than just her image for him to recall all of whom and what he was.

"I'd like it if we could just speak for a moment, if that would be all right with you," he informed the boy. The boy looked up at him, his eyes were despondent. Kisuke sat on the ground beside him, and waited for the boys' acceptance.

"I had the most oddest dream," Ulquiorra spoke then, and moved his gaze back to the photograph. "I was in darkness, but I wasn't alone. There was a… a creature there with me." The shop keeper stayed his curiosity, to listen more intently to the boy. "He was a strange thing. But he spoke to me, as if we had known each other from long ago. He said that he was me, and that I am him. I felt that I did know him, but… when he asked me to tell him his name, I couldn't complete it." When he looked to Kisuke again the gloom in his eyes deepened. "What was he Urahara-san?"

"I believe you came into contact with your Zanpakutō," at his questioning stare, Kisuke explained. "A Zanpakutō is part of your soul. The Zanpakutō's name is the name of the living spirit which empowers the sword and lends its power to the wielder," he went on. "These beings can vary greatly in appearance, and have their own distinct personalities, which will usually match their owner's."

The boy hollow's gaze was now one of surprise and slight confusion. "Who can wield Zanpakutōs?" he finally asked.

This was one of the moments Kisuke was hoping for and dreading, "We have talked of the Gotei 13 before." They had spoken of Soul Society, Shinigami, and Hollows. Kisuke spoke of a renegade Shinigami that tried to siege control of not only Seireitei, but the Soul King's Palace as well. When the boy nodded, Kisuke went on. "Shinigami were originally the only handlers of Zanpakutōs." The former Captain paused for a moment, "Aizen thought to take control by combining Hollows into Shinigami. These specialized hollows were called, Arrancar," he ended there, unsure how much more the boy could handle.

"I am not a Shinigami," he stated. "If I am not Shinigami… I am one of these Arrancar's?" Ulquiorra was very calm as he spoke. 'I am more than that aren't I Urahara-san?' he asked the question in his mind, but his eyes asked them of the shop keeper as well.

"Yes," Urahara said simply. "You remember I told you, that you were a part of an elite group," he reaffirmed. At the boy's nod he continued, "You were what were called the Espada. They were elite in that to attain the position; you had to have an incredible amount of spiritual pressure and special skills that Aizen thought useful to his goals." He watched the hollow's gaze as he looked down towards his chest. The boy's hand lifted from its place in his lap, to contact the tattoo beneath his shirt. "Yes, that is your ranking within the Espada. The Espada are ranked from 0-9."

"You said before I died… I was ranked at 4?" he asked. Kisuke gave a swift nod. "But when I revived, I gained this rank." He opened his shirt to reveal the number once again to Kisuke. "Are you telling me, that I am the highest ranking Espada? I am the Cero?" at the ranked name of the highest Espada both men's eyes shot to each other's.

'He's starting to remember more,' as this thought entered Kisuke's mind, the boy's chest burst into a column of green light. The intensity of the blast thrust the hollow back onto his mat. His screams of pain and anguish were heart wrenching. From his green lit torso, emerged a long katana. The sword's sheathe was mint green, while the sword itself was white. It had a classic shaped guard with spiral edgings. The blade had mint green ribbon wrapping along the handle. The entire katana pulsed with a green light, as it left his chest and landed back down on top of Ulquiorra.

Kisuke watched the rise and fall of the boy's chest, and knew that he survived that abrupt entrance of his sword. In all his years he'd never seen such an arrival of a Zanpakutō before. Urahara could only assume that this was the same sword that the original Cuatro had before his demise. 'I see. So that's it,' he thought. If one looked to the Geta-boshi's face at that moment, one could find the look of understanding appear on it. "Cifer-san? How ya doing there?" he asked the hollow.

Ulquiorra began to move from his position, moaning at the lingering discomfort he felt. He brought his hand to his chest and gripped the sword. He sat up with it in his hands, and looked to the former Captain with surprise in his eyes. "I know this weapon," he said straightforwardly.

"Oi, bro!" a voice sounded in his head, it seemed to come from the blade in his hand. He made a quick glance from the shop keeper to the sword and back.

"I think you need to talk with your sword," he told the young man. This was the time for Urahara to take a step back, and allow the culmination of events that was set over a year ago, to begin. "I believe you will find most if not all your answers to your questions within this sword. However, for things that's can't be answered, I will be in the training area," he stated to Ulquiorra, then picked himself up from the floor, and headed out of the room.

"Wait!" yelled the hollow man. "How…?"

Kisuke understood immediately. For a Shinigami the work one must pursue in order to refine their sword skills, and the communication between their sword and themselves, is arduous. When he researched how Aizen came to construct his Arrancar, these beings had an instinct for adapting to their weapons quickly. This instinct came from their time as Adjuchas and Vasto Lordes. This man, while he was an Arrancar, the Cero Espada at that, he had no knowledge of how to go about it. But Kisuke figured if it was instinct, the boy would know what he needed to do, before long. "Sit," was all the candy shop owner would say.

Ulquiorra sat, as instructed. He placed the sword on his lap and he rested with his back straight.

"Relax man! You're too tense!" the voice came again. "Woah, I gotta say, this isn't the first time we have communicated through the sword bond before, but I feel a little weird."

"I am very confused right now, and I do not like it!" Ulquiorra was getting restless.

"Yeah, how do you think I feel!? I was trapped… ONCE AGAIN… inside your damn void! It took forever to get you to finally hear me," the sword said angrily. It seemed to breathe heavily, as if sighing. "Look let's not go there, ok? We've got a whole mess of stuff to hash out, but we need to get you up to speed first too."

Remembering Kisuke's words, that this sword would give him the information he sought, he concentrated his energy. He held his sword with both hands, closed his eyes and bowed his head. Suddenly he was dizzy and it felt like the world around him, fell. When his eyes opened again, he could see that he was back inside that dark place.

Ulquiorra looked up to see a stream of light from the top. It was the hole he recently made in the roof. He made his way to leap for that hole again, when the creature of this world grabbed at his arm.

"Not yet, bro," he told him. "We need to get things cleared up before you can work on weaver."

"Weaver…?" as he asked, the woman's image came to mind. "The girl…? She is this weaver?"

"Daaayyymmmm! The gods sure played a fine joke on us, for you not to know who she is," it said.

"Please, stop speaking in conundrums, and tell me want I want to know!" the angry hollow boy yelled.

"Ok, ok, Cifer, but we can't move too fast with this. The pervert already told you what I am?" the beast-man enquired. Ulquiorra gave a nod. "Fine, let's start with the basics."

"Will doing as you say, get me to where I need to be?" Ulquiorra wanted to know.

"Where you want to be is also where I want to be, bro… so there is no way I'm going to lead you astray," he told him. "So bro, you ready for a wild ride?"

"Begin," the half hollow human finally consented.

Kisuke sat in the training cellar, with his Benihime in his lap. He would meditate with her, until the arrival of one Inoue Orihime. He had just left a message for her to meet him here. The Geta-boshi now knew just how the Cero Espada came to be, and it was all to do with the little samurai weaver princess. If he was correct, she was the answer to more than just the enquiry about Ulquiorra. She might very well be the answer to his problem with Ichigo.

Orihime came crashing into the cellar and raced right to Urahara. She was breathing heavily and sweat was dripping from her forehead. She must have run nonstop to get here. Kisuke was sitting peacefully with his Zanpakutō on his lap and his legs crossed. In front of him was a setup of tea and cakes.

"Inoue-san, please sit with me," he told her. He waited for her to calmly take the space opposite him, before he continued. "Before you rattle off your questions, I have something's to ask of you first."

While Orihime was losing patience, she knew that this man wasn't her enemy or a combatant. He was one of her teachers and as such deserved her respect and tolerance. "Urahara-san, I will do my best to answer anything you ask of me. But could you please just tell me one thing?" she asked him. With his nod, she went on, "Will you be perfectly honest with me, and not talk to me in riddles? Will you give me the complete answers?"

"Inoue-san, I have never spoken a word of untruth to you. So of course I never will. As far as giving you complete answers, I will do my best to give you all the knowledge that I can, about this situation," he expressed to her. She gave a curt nod, signaling for him to continue with his interrogation.

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**A/N: Bear with me i needed to get this out before the reveal. Please Read and Review :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Ok, I had one of my proof reader's read this chapter and they yelled at me because I wouldn't let them read it in its entirety. I was very nearly attacked by him, (in a jokingly way). He said I must immediately write the next chapter. I take that as a compliment! Enjoy my lovlies.**

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Chapter 4: Though the Pain

"What do you know of your rejection abilities?" he asked her now.

The weaver princess was surprised by his question, but gave him the only answer she knew, "I know that I can reject events from space and time."

"Have you come to understand the extent of your ability?" he asked, and watched her tilt her head to the side in question. "Do you know how far you can take that ability? You told me of the time you healed one of the Espada while in Hueco Mundo… He was the one who lost his arm. You were able to bring his entire arm back." She nodded. "Later when… Kurosaki-san was struck down by the Cuarto, you had difficulty but were able to bring him back then as well, correct?"

Again she nodded, not exactly knowing where he was going with this. "Yes, he was deeply wounded by Ulquiorra's puncture. Some of his reiatsu mixed with Kurosaki-san's, but what does this have to do with what is wrong with Ulquiorra now?"

"Inoue-san, do you remember your parents?" Kisuke asked now. Even though he knew the subject of her parents was a sore one for her, this was information he needed to know.

Orihime was taken aback by this. She shook her head at the ex-captain. She didn't remember anything about them. Her brother had taken her away while she was just a baby. The only thing she really knew about them was what her nii-sama had told her. She knew that they were neglectful and abusive. But she didn't even remember what they looked like.

"Please be patient, while I tell you an important story," the shop keep told her. He then handed her a cake and offered her the tea, before he continued. "This is an old story, and even I was unsure about its accuracy, until a few hours ago."

**The Princess's Story…**

Her name was Miki (美姫), and she so named because she came from a lower ranked royal family. Miki was a tall, elegant female. She had lovely long blond hair, which reached to just below her hind side. She was smart mouthed, which the Soul King found amusing. But when he found her practicing Kidō, he was overwhelmed with emotion. He didn't grant souls of her class such abilities. He knew at that moment that this female would be meant for more than her station would allow.

The Soul King devised a plan to obtain the woman. He would win this particular beauty, after a dispute with the family over their property rights. They thought to argue with him over what they thought do them… he disagreed. Being that Miki didn't particularly like the way she was attained, she was a hard conquest for the King. But anything that was hard to attain, was worth the effort. Miki soon became his courtesan.

The Soul King came out of usual hiding place within his palace to witness the birth of his daughter. There was never usually anything special about these births from the courtesans, but he already knew this one would be. Since the courtesan herself was special. Her Kidō skills over the years had increased and she had the ability to bring flowers and small animals back from the brink of death.

His daughter was born and he named her Takako (隆子), for she was indeed his elevated child. There was a special gift that the girl possessed. She was able to draw life and give life to other beings, similar to her mother's power. But where the mother could heal all manner of aliments, this child could cause them. It was only a matter of time before it would become a problem.

The child was left to her own devises without a care, for her father was Soul King and there was nothing she could do in his realm, to cause him to worry. Of course one day, when the child was about 7 years old and she ventured out of the Soul King's realm to Rukongai. She came upon a man in the Rukon District, he seem to be a very helpful person.

He was handing out candy to the children running around his location. He was such an old man, Takako felt sorry for him. So when she was handed the candy from the man, she held his hand and looked into his eyes. She didn't realize there was a young man holding onto his other hand. Her power caused the two men to adjust their ages to the other.

The older man, whose hand she still held, was now a strapping younger man. While the boy on the other side became old and decrepit, he collapsed at the sudden change. The now younger man caught the older man before he hit the ground.

"What did you do!?" he yelled at the girl. "This was my grandson, not just some person I call my grandson. He was my real grandson! What have you done!?" The grandfather wailed, while the eyes of his grandson became glossy.

"Grandfather, I'm… I'm blind," the once youthful boy told him. His breaths came in shorts gasps. This boy was about to die.

"I'm sowwy," she said to the men. "I'm so sowwy."

"You did this! So fix it!" the grandfather yelled at her. "Fix this now, before he's gone! It's not his time to reincarnate… It's mine!" The girl was crying now, she didn't know how this happened, what to do, or how to find help. As they stood there, the boy's speech became lethargic, and his breath even more shallow.

"Don't… cry grandfather… I'm… I'm… going… to be… alright. We will… meet… again," the boy said to him then. "You… told me so… yourself." At that moment the grandson, passed into the ether, and the grandfather now wailed even louder.

"No! No! NOOOOOOOO!" he screamed. At the cries of the man, the Shinigami that were patrolling the area came upon the scene. "Take her! She just killed this man!" the grandfather howled at them.

Takako didn't know what to do, she tried to run, but the Shinigami had her before she could. The minute they tried to bind her, she screeched a sound so powerful the sky above the district opened up. Out of the opening came the Soul King's Royal Guard.

The argument was made for the Royal Guard to return the girl to the palace and have her judged by the Soul King himself. The Shinigami said they would have to bring this matter up with Yamamoto Sou-Taichō. But the Royal Guard and the Shinigami were never giving any other options as the Soul King retrieved his guards and his daughter.

The grandfather ran off into the far reaches of the Rukon District. He was so full of pain at the loss of his grandson; his heart could not handle it. He grew wrathful and so enraged was he, that he had begun to change. The currently young man, who had eerie green eyes, scratched at them, dragging his nails down his cheeks at their base to his jaw. He beat at his chest where he was suffering the most, and the soul could no longer hold his existence. He became a hollow at that moment, and began to terrorize the local population. However, before the Shinigami could retrieve him and cleanse him, a Garganta opened up and the hollow tumbled through it.

In the Soul King's territory, there was chaos. Miki grabbed for her daughter, but the Royal Guards had already caught hold of her. They brought the child before the Soul King, and all present demanded that the child be destroyed. While he was the King of all, this was something he couldn't just let go. It needed to be resolved within the laws of the kingdom. The law gave him only one option. He would have to extinguish his beloved daughter's existence.

He took his child from the guards, and walked with her. He told her she was his precious gift and would love her until his time was over. He then removed his Zanpakutō from the sheath at his side; bright orange and purple lights exploded. When they were gone his daughter was no more.

He went to console the mother of his child; she threw her hands at his chest beating it relentlessly. When he got her alone he told her a secret, he couldn't kill his treasured daughter. At this remark, she looked to the Soul King for answers. He told her since he had the ability to weave time he erased her memories and send her soul out into the world of the living. When her soul returned, if he was still King he would retrieve her. Miki then cried in her lover's arms, she had no idea if her daughter would ever return but she would wait as long as it took.

After three generations a girl child was born to the Inoue family. Because of the rareness of this event, her grandmother asked that she be named Weaver Princess, because she could weave her way into your heart. This child was nothing like the rest of the family. Her hair was not dark; her eyes were the wrong color. Her father accused the mother of cheating on him. Her brother couldn't stand the fighting and abuse his poor sister was receiving, so one night he ran off with her. And so this was how Inoue Orihime came into the world.

Orihime listened intently to the story Urahara Kisuke recited for her. She was putting the pieces of it together, but one thing didn't make sense to her. "Urahara-san… are you saying… that I am the child of… the… Soul King!?"

Kisuke burst into a fit of laughter at her question. "No, no, no, Inoue-san!" he had yet to control his merriment, when Orihime stood up from the tea and cakes. He stopped laughing then and said to her, "You… are more than likely his GREAT-GREAT-GRANDAUGHTER."

Orihime crumpled to the ground once again, at this shocking news. Her lips quivered, and her hands shook. She didn't know where to look; her eyes couldn't focus on any one thing. She brought her eyes to her sensei, the ones gazing back at her told her this was defiantly what he believed. She grabbed a cake off the plate in front of her, popped it into her mouth, and drank down the tea she picked up afterward.

"How did you come to this conclusion, Urahara-san?" she asked after she cleared her throat.

Urahara watched as she took another of his cakes, and shoved it into her mouth. "Your power, it's very unique and exclusive to certain souls. I only comprehended the facts, and reasoned that this was the most logical determination," he told her. "The Soul King is a weaver of time and space, while his courtesan was able to use Kidō and heal. Their daughter was the oddity that could drain and rejuvenate life. You probably won't know it but your great-great-grandmother's name… was Takako." He revealed and unloaded all this information onto the young girl; she was becoming dizzy from the news.

"How… how did you… find this all out?" she asked him.

"While I waited for you to arrive I traced what I could of your family line. I only needed to go back 3 generations to find the corroborating evidence, so it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be," he informed the weaver princess. "There is just one last thing I need to confirm my suspicion."

Orihime looked up into her sensei's eyes and hers widened in surprise when she heard this, "What is it that you need to do?"

"I have to perform a specific test, this test would include extracting your DNA and some of your spiritual pressure for analysis," he explained to her. "Please don't worry though Inoue-san, it is only for your own good that I do this," he told her now. From his side he pulled a syringe out. "And the drug I'm going to use will also work on yours and your souls' memory and past. You'll know what I say is true when you wake."

The girl thrust her arm at the scientist; she would get this over with as soon as possible. If she did the sooner she could be reunited with her man. The syringe punctured her vein, and quickly went to work on her system. Orihime couldn't keep herself conscious any longer. She passed out on the dusty ground of the candy shop's secret cellar. "Phew! Mayuri, sometimes I wonder which one of us is the bigger genius," he spoke to the air around him, and complimented the current captain of squad 12, as he lifted the girl from the ground, climbed out of the cellar, and brought her to one of his lab rooms in the back.

Ulquiorra didn't know how long they were training, and battling each other. It felt like months. When he questioned his sword, he was informed that time worked differently here in the void. And because it was connected to another inner world, the time differential was in unison with that one, at an 8:1 ratio of hours to minutes. The boy figured he very well could have been here for years.

"Alright Cifer," his counter-part said to him. "I think we could both use a break." They both put their weapons away. They had been practicing sword skills and the creature produced a replica of the sword Ulquiorra held. The humanoid bat was sitting quietly in the background, watching the display. Each man sat within the abyss, breathing heavily from their exertion.

"You're getting better, Cifer," the soul said to Ulquiorra.

"I feel that this is a tedious endeavor, though my sword skills are improved, I am not gaining any memories," he said now. "And that was what we agreed, I need right now."

"Cifer, there is only one way I can think of to give you those memories… but…," the goat-man hesitated, before continuing his reply. "But that way, caused us problems one time."

"What way is it? If it will work faster than this, I am willing to try it," Ulquiorra declared.

The spirit explained to Ulquiorra, what he did to him. How he forced him to swallow his left eye, to show him their past. How doing so, caused his master to go insane. And how, long it took him to regain control of that deranged body. Even after all this, Kanzen could see the determination in his master's eyes. He would not take no, for an answer. He needed to think on this task, for if he messed it up this time, he wasn't sure he'd be able to retrieve him again.

"Are you sure about this? I told you before, there is no guarantee that I will be able to release you from your insanity this time," he warned the hollow boy one more time.

"You said you forced me to do this last time, so the obvious interpretation, is that I was still rejecting your measures," Ulquiorra explained to his sword. "If I am not subjugating myself to you, but allowing you to implant this, then one can stand to reason, that I will not become senseless."

With as much of his reservations pushed aside, by his intelligent overseer, Kanzen had Ulquiorra lay on the ground. He lifted his hand and dug his fingers into his eye, pulling it out. Instead of shoving it completely down his master's throat, as he did last time, he offered it to Ulquiorra.

The half hollow man took the gory eye from his soul. His upper lip curled slightly at the thought of what he was about to do. It made a squishing sound in his fingers, and fluid dripped down his hand. Looking back up at his sword's persona and lifting one eyebrow, he popped the eye into his mouth and swallowed it whole.

It didn't even hit his stomach before the images started flooding in. They flowed backwards as if someone was rewinding his life. He saw his weeks with the Geta-boshi fly by, then his time in Tokyo. A brief pause was given to the old man in the corner store, and then a rush came to his senses. He was tossed backwards beyond his year in the city. Ulquiorra's body jumped and blood spewed from his mouth as it lifted from the floor of the tomb with a burst of green spiritual energy. His face was full of agony; the hollow boy was feeling all the pain he didn't get to experience when he revived.

* * *

**A/N: O.o…You know what to do… :P**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: You might shed a tear at the end of this chapter, but that would be a good thing  
Chapter Soundtrack:  
Coming Undone by Korn – Ulquiorra's Theme  
Broken by Seether & Amy Lee – Orihime's Theme  
You Found Me by The Fray – Overall Chapter Theme**

* * *

Chapter 5: Broken Parts

**The memories…**

He felt himself floating in a grey and dusty desert. Everything here seemed dead. He had no body; he was just a part of the sand. But he had consciousness. He could acknowledge that his body was this black soot being swept away by the wind. Suddenly the ash started to come together, and take on a shape. There was something in front of him; another being was standing before him. As his body came back to him, he could make out the shape of a woman. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Even with her puffy, tear stained face and rustled hair. Even with her clothes torn and dirty. He just knew he'd never seen a more perfect female before.

She was the woman from his dream. Her fiery red hair was literally on fire. In fact her entire body was engulfed in a huge flame. Her eyes were a blend of orange and red. Her body was covered in a yellow armor, stitched together with orange and green light. He could make out large transparent, butterfly wings on her back. She seemed to be pulling away from him. No, it wasn't her pulling away, it was time rewinding further.

The series of events brought him to the moment where he was set afire. His eyes grew wide in shock to see that it was the woman that caused his demise. Then he saw a beast, it morphed into the spiky red haired boy from his dream. He flashed next to a moment in which he gained a long sharp tail, and this tail snapped the boy's neck after he'd penetrated the boy's chest with his hand. He killed this boy.

He was thrown back further and this time he was in a serene grassy field. He looked above him to find the woman atop him, making love to him. He could feel his body's reaction to her, and he felt all the emotions this woman brought to the surface of his existence. He knew now why she was important to him. He was in love with the woman!

When next his consciousness came to him, he was drawn back to his time as Espada number 4. He had a human shaped body, with half his mask in the form of a helmet atop his head. His hollow hole was in his chest, and he had long green tear drop etchings down his cheeks. He could recall his temperament, his certainty that all life's purpose was to attain nothing, he felt it all. 'If you attain nothing, you lose nothing' that motto rang in his head.

His next stop on this memory ride brought him to a barren white tree. The tree was like a home to him. It was void and white like he was. He was a small hollow, but he held a human shape. His mask completely covered his face and had long bat ears on it. His hair coming out the back was long and black. His eyes held the only bit of color to them, being that same intense green that they were. All the creatures around him were black with sharp teeth. He struck them all down and ate them, before they could consume him. Then there was nothing but blackness surrounding him.

He caught glimpses of images now. His body was no longer his own, he was one of many souls. He was a large sized white bat, not unlike the pet bat Kanzen now kept, but not the humanoid that it was. The only thing he could feel was hunger. His bat body consumed hollows around him.

Next his memory flashed back again, he was no longer a bat. He was a large hollow, his body similar to the others around him. The faces held a mask with no real definition, wore long black robes and they were in a forest.

He wasn't this hollow for long; he next became a similar hollow to the one he fought on the streets of Tokyo. He fell through a black opening and he was terrorizing a group of souls in a small town. He was monstrously huge, his face was a skull, his body was a pink color, and he was devouring the population.

All of this Ulquiorra took in stride; he already knew that since he was an Arrancar, he had to have first been all of these different forms of hollow. But what he became next shocked him. He never expected that he was once a soul of Rukongai.

All the previous memories only slowed long enough for him to view them and move on. However for this series; time was allowed to be slowed down even further for him, as if this event was most important for him to comprehend. He saw his human soul, it was incredibly dismal. He was dragging his hands down his face, shredding his cheeks. He was pounding on his chest, as if trying to remove the pain he felt from his heart. He was moving now to another scene where he was holding an old man, but… he wasn't really an old man. Something happened to both of them, something terrible.

'No! No! NOOOOOOOO!' the airy voice heard was his own. 'Fix this!' He could hear different fragments of an argument. '…my grandson! ... What did you do!?' Then the bodies of the two souls, seemed to switch places.

He was now the older man and he was content. He had found his grandson who recently died in the human world. He let him know that even though they had only just found each other, they would be separated soon, for it was near his time to become a human again. They spent whatever time they could together, handing candies to the local poor children here. They were stationed in one of the lowest districts of Rukongai.

He was holding the hand of his grandson, while handing the candy out, then a child took his other hand. He can remember seeing this child and thinking she was remarkably charming looking. She had hair of dark gold, and her eyes were a piercing blue. While she held his hand, the trouble started. She caused him to exchange the youth of his grandson with his ancient appearance. Looking at her now with his knowledgeable eyes, her form seemed to flash very quickly from the child before him, to the female he saw at the beginning of this journey and back again.

These were all his memories, but they felt like that of a stranger. He was once an old man in Rukongai. He had a grandson that was swiftly taken away from him, by a child. The said child was cursed with the ability to give and take life. Not only that, but the child bore a striking resemblance to the woman he found himself in love with. As comprehension began to fill his mind, he felt a sudden chill of apprehension. No it wasn't wariness or anxiety; it was the cold feel of alarm. He couldn't escape his memories.

**Coming back down…**

Kanzen watched his master as he flowed through time in his recollections. When he first entered his trance, Ulquiorra's body floated off the ground slightly, and then slammed to the floor. The suffering didn't stop there. His body seemed to be reliving his past, including all his battles and injuries. This journey was stressing his human/hollow body. His cheeks were now shedding blood and the hole in his ear was pulsing and starting to bleed. Because of his conversion from full hollow to partial human, his hollow hole modified and moved from his chest to his ear. As he looked over him, he could see the young hollow, trying to work through something. Ulquiorra's face was in distress. The torment and misery displayed there caused Kanzen to worry. Suddenly Ulquiorra coughed and spewed blood and tissue from his mouth. His master was on the verge of death once again.

Kisuke preformed his test on the sleeping Orihime. He gathered the DNA he needed and began to analyze it. It was the spiritual pressure, which was harder to extract. Because of her rejection ability it was challenging to get it to come forth. This was the reason he needed her unconscious during the procedure. He needed to cause her an extensive amount of damage to gain the amount of reiryoku he needed. Once that was collected he healed her wounds and left her inside the lab to rest.

Reiryoku being the actual power of creatures such as themselves was separated by degrees. The lowest of Average was what one expected of exceptional humans and low ranking Shinigami. High Spiritual Energy came next and usually Lieutenant Class Shinigami held this amount. Captain Class Shinigami, were divided into two kinds of energy users, Great or Immense. The last of these kinds of power level users, was the Vast Spiritual Energy User. These were those unpredictable types, like Kenpachi Zaraki, Kurosaki Ichigo, and Ulquiorra Cifer. These tests would take a few days before he would get the results, but judging from the difficulty and amount he was able to extract, Orihime's reiryoku, was that of 'Immense'.

He walked over to the guest room which held his newest charge. As he approached the room, he could feel the boys' life force fluctuate. He grabbed at the door and immediately slid it open. The hollow boy was reclining on the floor near his mat, and he had puncture wounds and various other injuries to his body. The boy was lying in a pool of his own blood. "TESSAI!" the Shinigami yelled for his second, as he lifted the boy into his arms.

They raced him into the lab where Tessai was preforming non-stop healing Kidō on the young man. Kisuke didn't know what was happening to the boy inside his world, but he'd never seen anything of this magnitude happen before. This was not just a spiritual problem they faced, but a mortal one as well. He rushed to his phone and called upon the only doctor of the human world, which would actually come, to assist him in this endeavor.

Kurosaki Isshin arrived at Urahara's Candy Shop about half an hour after the call. He examined the boy and deduced that whatever he was trying to accomplish inside his inner world, was dealing him death blows. Other than a constant healer to keep him from complete death, there was nothing they could do. Both Shinigami males looked to the healer that lay on the other lab table.

"Is she… how is she?" Isshin asked of his longtime friend.

"I am just waiting for the results of the tests, she should wake soon. But I didn't plan on her to wake up to this," he updated the father of Ichigo. "I believe she is the essence the Soul King is waiting for."

At that Kurosaki Isshin, huffed. "Ha, so it's her, huh? Geez! Grandpa can't keep it in his pants!" he rolled his eyes. "Just keep him comfortable until she wakes, she's the only medicine that can cure him now." Kisuke thanked his friend and watched him leave. He and Tessai would alternate positions while keeping watch over the boy.

It's been months since Kanzen told her he had to train with Ulquiorra, and Horou was pacing the river waiting for him to tell her it was done. She watched the tree when she reached its side again. The opening Ulquiorra had made in it seemed to begin to enlarge. She steadily walked to it, and peered inside. She could see nothing but darkness. She placed her hand to the opening, and felt to see if there was something blocking her way. When she felt nothing she placed her hand inside, there was a chill in the air of the abyss. "Horou!" she heard her soul's body yell for her.

"Horou! What's been happening?" Orihime asked her hollow. She came upon her at the hollow tree as she knew she would. When she saw that the tree had opened more she ran for entrance.

"I'm not sure what's happening Orihime. I haven't heard from Kanzen in months. Then this happened to the tree. He said only Ulquiorra can open the cavern," the hollow princess recited to her. Orihime made herself, ready to enter the tomb. Horou Hanahime gave her a look of concern, but didn't stop her from what she planned to do. The weaver princess entered the void.

Kanzen felt before he heard the woman land on the ground of his space. Like his master he couldn't move from his place on the floor. So long as Ulquiorra was in danger of death, he was as well. He tilted his head to the side to find her feet and legs marching over to their position. She reached him first and bent to him.

"KANZEN!" she yelled. Apparently she must have been trying to speak to him for a while, because her voice seemed strained. "Can you hear me? What's happened here? Where is Ulquiorra?"

The goat-creature lifted his palm and pointed to the place across from him. He couldn't communicate any other way at the moment. She had never seen Kanzen look like this before, but she didn't have time to contemplate his change, as she made her way to the body lying bloody and riddled with bruises near Kanzen's other side.

"Ahh, Nooooo!" the girl exclaimed. She found her lover, and he was dying. She wrapped him in her arms lifting his head from the ground. This was the first time she was able to view him, since she left his ashes on the roof of Las Noches. He no longer had the hollow helmet, and the hole in his chest was missing. His face was oozing blood where his green etching used to be. It looked like he had cried two rivers of blood. His left ear seem to pulsate with a small green light. She found his hole there. She pressed her fingers to it gently, then bent her upper body over his and wept sorrowfully.

He was stuck in a loop of the memory of his grandson dying by the hands of the girl, when he heard the sound of someone crying. He turned to the sound and found the girl beside him. 'Was she the one that was crying?'

"I'm sowwy, I'm so sowwy" she repeated to him.

"Little one," he spoke to her. "I don't know if you can understand me, or even if you can hear me, but the blame is not yours. You were a child with an exceptional gift. I'm sorry for being too grief stricken to realize this." The girl looked at him, and suddenly she wasn't a child any longer. She was the woman and she was crying over him.

He opened his eyes and reached a weak hand to the face above him. 'It was her!' he thought. 'She's here, right now!' There was only one word that came to mind when he saw her crying face, "Onna?" he spoke aloud.

Orihime gasped harshly, at the sound of the name only Ulquiorra called her. She lifted her face from the shoulder she rested it on, and gazed into the midori eyes she had fallen in love with. They were splashed with blood in them, but they were there. She moved her hand from his ear and placed it to his face.

"You're alive," she whispered. Her tears were coming down in a downpour onto his blood soaked features. There was an orange light glowing from them as they fell. Where they landed his wounds were healed instantly.

The hand that held the side of her face brought its thumb to caress her bottom lip, curl around and caress the top one as well. "Found you," he said to her then.

* * *

**A/N: ;-)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Umm, yeah, Lemon Alert. ;-)  
Chapter Soundtrack:  
Life is Beautiful by Sixx A.M. – Ulquiorra's Theme  
Whispers in the Dark by Skillet – Orihime's Theme  
Bring me to Life by Evanescence – Overall Chapter Theme**

* * *

Chapter 6: The Memory Remains

As Kisuke took his turn to watch and heal the boy hollow, an intense orange light came from the bed next to him. When he rotated his body to view the bed, he saw the now famous multihued prism encapsulating Orihime. He knew this was the sign of both her time bubble, inner world and her distress. He called Tessai to the room again.

"Let's move them both to the cellar. Should anything happen with her in this form… it's the only place safe enough for her to implode without causing too much damage to this world," he spoke quickly to his second, and grabbed the boy for the move.

Tessai had to move the girl with the bed. Her heat radiated greatly, and he couldn't touch the weaver princess without being scolded by it. Without too much difficulty they got both pairs of teens into the secret cellar under the candy shop. He saw the former captain of squad 12 place the boy down near the bed of the girl. Tessai noticed a change in the boy, the wounds he had suffered from his inner world experience, had stop bleeding. They still remained open, but the flow of his life's essence was no longer pouring from his body.

"Taishō…," he began, but the shop keeper already made note of the discovery.

"She must be with him Tessai," he stated. "She's healing him from the inside out." Both men backed away, no longer having to keep such a tight watch on the boy. Tessai offered to stay with them, so Kisuke went back to his lab. This was the first time Kisuke got to visually see the fused pair actually come into contact through the inner world connection they shared. He knew they could be in there for a while, he just hoped to have answers for her when she did finally emerge.

As she heard him speak to her, Orihime grabbed Ulquiorra tighter to her, pulling him to her bosom. She never thought she'd get to be this close to him again. She was afraid of letting him go. His arms came around her waist and his hands curled up to rest at the back of her shoulders, his eyes slid closed in elation. "Sōten Kisshun," she said, and then the glow of her healing dome encompassed them both.

As she worked to heal his wounds completely, she called "Shiten Kōshun," she made the triangular prism that she used as a defensive attack, into a make shift elevator, carrying the three souls to the surface of the abyss. They were all finally back, in Orihime's inner world. Horou Hanahime made a run for Kanzen, and grabbed him up.

"What happened you infantile man!? Look at you!" she said in frustration to the Zanpakutō.

"Ahh, woman! Can't ya just hold me? I've been through so much," Kanzen exclaimed. Even at a time like this, Kanzen never seems to lose his humor. But Horou was in agreement and pulled him close into her embrace. "Take me woman, I'm yours!" he declared and threw himself at her. They tumbled backwards onto the sandy ground by the tree's entrance.

Orihime manipulated Shiten Kōshun and traveled with the frail Ulquiorra over the jewel encrusted grassy lands, to appear before her ranch home. There she released them from the triangular foundation, but kept her healing radiance on him.

"You know me, don't you, Ulquiorra?" she nervously asked of the hollow boy. They were still clasped together in each other's arms. He tilted his head up and she searched his now clear green eyes, for any form of recollection.

His hand skidded along the back of her neck, to rest itself at the base of her head. With a gentle tug, he pulled the woman closer to him and brought his lips to hers. The kiss remained a soft, feathery caress until her mouth opened slightly and her tongue grazed along his lip.

There was urgency in the kiss now; they both needed something only the other could give. They had been without each other's touch for far too long. Ulquiorra, using his other hand, pulled the girl above him down into his lap. He broke away from her lips to speak, "Onna, you were always there. Even when I was unconfident about whom I was. My mind, my body, knew who you were." He kissed her again, as he moved his body from his sitting position, to lay her on the grass.

Orihime moved both her hands into his hair, and she massaged his scalp with her fingertips. She marveled at the feel of having both her hands there, which she was never able to do before. She felt her lover slide his hands down her body, opening up her school uniform's vest and removing it. He reached for the border of her white shirt and pulled it out of her skirt. He tried to be gentle with the buttons of it but his urgency wouldn't allow for that, so he ripped open her top. Orihime simply sighed; it wasn't like she really had to worry about this outfit in her world. She got hold of his shirt and removed it from his upper body. She could finally see his well carved chest, without the blemish of the hole that once resided there. Orihime pasted her hand over the space, lingering on the spot below his clavicle.

"What you are looking for is here, Onna," he said to her, then picked her hand up off his chest to his ear. He hissed a breath in at the feel of her touching it. She gave a small smile as she rubbed the spot with her fingers. She lifted herself slightly onto her elbows and placed a kiss to his ear. She heard what she wanted to hear, come from his throat. She giggled at the sound of Ulquiorra's growl. Becoming more daring, she sucked it into her mouth. She used her tongue to tease and flick at it.

Ulquiorra felt shockwaves run from his ear to his toes, when she drew the lobe between her teeth. She was doing it to him again. No one in this world or any other could make him lose his reason, as she always found a way to do. "Arrhh, Onna! I need… hah hah… I… need!" he stressed to her, between gasps.

She pushed herself up and he followed kneeling on the grass. She brought her hands to his jeans, unzipped and moved them out of her way. She removed her panties, and then she unceremoniously pushed him backwards. The importance of completing this act was insistent upon her body as well. There was no time for foreplay; she needed him just as badly as he needed her. She slid him into her in one easy stroke.

The couple very nearly reached their climax there. After the briefest of pauses, Orihime began to move her hips slowly caressing him with her inner walls. With her mounted on top of him, he had the freedom to rub and fondle her. Ulquiorra grasped the nape of her neck and pulled her close to him, her hands landing on either side of him. He kissed her again, smoothly thrusting his tongue into her mouth. He lifted his other hand to grasp and caress her breast. Leaving her lips his tongue, ventured down her neck where he suckled her.

Her eyes lowered at the sensation of him placing his mark on her, she continually loved when he did this. She brought her lips to his neck and with a swift bite claimed him again. A primitive sound rumbled from his throat, as she licked the abrasion slowly. After pushing her upward, Ulquiorra dropped his hands low, and grazed them up her thighs, and under her skirt. One hand rested at her rear, holding her tightly to him. With the other he used his thumb to play mercilessly against the jewel of her core.

She leaned back to allow him more access to her, as she rode his member. From his ministrations, her body began to quake and shudder, her cries of satisfaction rung in the air around them both. When she exhausted herself, he took the opportunity to bring her in close to him, and roll them both so she now lay beneath him.

Ulquiorra rested on one arm and hooked her thigh with the other. She brought her arms around his neck and they both looked deeply into each other's eyes. The midori eyes flashed with desire, while the slate ones displayed gratification. He deliberately thrust himself into her, gently. He watched Orihime's facial expressions change from contentment to yearning.

Her short breaths and sighing sounds were all he needed to increase his onslaught of thrusts into her body. Her lower body responded to his assault by arching to meet him. He felt her climax approaching again, and his pace quickened, they would reach it together.

Kisuke was keeping watch over the two young people, when he had a visitor. She slinked her way to his cellar, as one would expect of the former captain of squad 2 and Sōshireikan of the Onmitsukidō, and crept around to his back. "You know Yoruichi, it would take more than that to sneak up on me," Urahara said and made a quick turn to catch the cat. But she wasn't behind him where he expected her. She leapt up from the other side of him and landed on his head.

"You were saying…" she said in her manly cat voice.

"What brings you here this time?" he asked his oldest and dearest best friend.

"You know what brought me here. Is it true Kisuke? Has the soul of the princess really been Inoue all this time?" Yoruichi asked now. Her cat face hid the seriousness of their situation. "You know what will happen if it's true."

"I know, and I had taken all the precaution I can. But there really is nothing to stop him from retrieving her, you know that," he informed her. "But there is something else, Yoruichi. Something that was never considered," he told the Shihōin Princess. He pulled his friend in close and told her a story. When he was through, the Goddess of Flash was smiling with a sinister grin.

"Hahaha, only you would find a way around the Ōken!" she exclaimed. "Well, all we can do now is, wait then. Wait for him to take her, and wait for the boy to take her back." She laughed raucously.

"Yea, fun times! I'm also in danger of punishment for this. Ahh, the things I do for love," he half joked. "Cifer-san is completely healed now, so we really just need for them to leave the inner world. From what Inoue-san told me of this world, being in there for even one day nearly a year will pass for them."

"So what's the problem?" Yoruichi ask of him.

"They've been in there for 4 days already. She's deteriorating from the extensive use of her reiatsu. We've had to resort to IV injections for nourishment. I'm afraid they don't want to come back out," he updated her. "This can't go on though." He gave her a meaningful look, and the 22nd head of the Shihōin Clan knew what he wanted her to do.

"You just like ripping the Band-Aid off, huh?" He just gave her his most charming smile; she laughed again and left his basement, heading straight for Seireitei.

"Tessai!" Kisuke bellowed. The tall man came to his side in a flash. "We should be expecting company very shortly. Let's make sure they are comfortable and we have plenty of room."

"Yes, Taishō!" he told him, and left the cellar to make the preparations.

"Sorry Inoue-san, this has to be done," he told the girl.

They woke up most mornings to make love, and then spend time by the brook and talk. She told him all the training she had done since she left Hueco Mundo, most of it to get his death off her mind. She told him how sorry she was for hurting him, and causing his death. He told her that it wasn't her fault; he wasn't completely in his right mind at the time. He understands now how she felt about her friends, and even though he still didn't like the idea of her friendship with Ichigo, he would try to control his jealousy. They ate from the newly arrived fruit trees; she even got him to smile for her. They went to bed every night in each other's arms.

Time within their world flew by, before they knew it nearly 6 years had gone by. The problems started when it took Orihime longer and longer to wake up in the mornings, until one day she didn't. Kanzen came to the home when he was having issues with Horou. He knocked at the door, carrying the unconscious hollow in his arms.

"She's having trouble with responsiveness," he told his master. "She had said something about too much spiritual pressure being used."

"What?! Gahdammit, I was so stuck on her and this place I never thought about her body on the outside!" he was frantic now. While his intelligence was off the charts, he was still a man. And he thought more about the pleasure of having Orihime all to himself that he decided to play ignorant of the trouble it would cause. They brought both women together, and tried to wake them.

Suddenly there was a cold wind that blew through the meadow. Both men were being pulled towards the void. They could see themselves getting farther and farther away from the women they loved. Ulquiorra remembered the only other time this happened to them. It was when Orihime left her inner world to face off with Aizen. She was departing this world, and if she was leaving so would he. They found themselves back inside the hollow tree.

"You need to leave now Cifer," his counter-part told him.

"Yeah, I know Zetsubō," he already made his way to break free of his void. He stood by one wall, and placed his hand to it. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on where he wanted to be. As the wall opened up, he could hear sounds coming from the outside world. 'Sou-Taichō wants to deal with this,' he heard a deep masculine voice say. Then from Urahara, 'Inoue-san is in a fragile state'. He could sense his woman was in the room near his. As he stepped though the gap, her reiatsu disappeared.

Urahara Kisuke was expecting the captains when they arrived at his candy shop. Captains Kuchiki and Suì-Fēng; he had Tessai, Jinta, and Ururu, prepare tea and cakes for them. But Suì-Fēng would have none of them, and only wanted to get the assignment over with. The less time she spent around… _him_, the sooner she could get Shihōin Yoruichi out of here and the better she would feel.

"Aww, Suì-Fēng why do you always give me such dirty looks? I am a mere honest, handsome, perverted businessman now; can't you let all that stuff, go yet?" Kisuke taunted the petite assassin. "Are you still in love with me? Is that it?" he brought his fan up to his face and covered his lecherous smile.

She was just about to strike him, when Yoruichi grabbed her by the wrist and walked off into the other room with her. Suì-Fēng didn't go quietly, but something transpired in the other room that got her to quiet down, greatly. When they entered the room again, Suì-Fēng was in a daze, and Yoruichi was barking orders to the other captain about how to go about bringing the princess out. She had already been moved out of the basement, while Ulquiorra was placed in his guest room away from the crowd of captains.

"We will bring her directly to Seireitei, Yamamoto Sou-Taichō wants to deal with this situation there," this comment coming from Kuchiki Byakuya the 28th Head of the Kuchiki Family.

"This needs to be done as soon and as smoothly as possible. Inoue-san is in a fragile state right now," the Geta-boshi informed the group. After leading them to the girl, they opened up the Senkaimon and she was off to Seireitei and Yamamoto Sou-Taichō. Kisuke now intuitively waited in the guest room for the boy to awaken from his long slumber.

When the boy awoke, he shot himself up from the mat he laid upon and was spoiling for a fight. He turned to find the shop keeper sitting by him. He grabbed the Geta-boshi by his haori and lifted him slightly off the ground.

"Where is my woman?!" Ulquiorra demanded.

Urahara could see very well, this boy was not only healed by Orihime, but seemed to have gained his memories of his former life. "She was unwell, we had her sent to Soul Society for treatment," he told the boy.

The boy relaxed some, but he still held the candy shop owner. "When will she return?" he enquired now. It was then that he saw apprehension cross Urahara's features. He pulled the man in close again, and asked once more, "When… will… SHE RETURN!?"

"Cifer-san, there are things you need to hear before I can tell you when she will come back," he calmly told the hollow boy. Then he grabbed the boy at his wrists and twisted them back and off his haori. Ulquiorra grimaced at the sharp pain in his arms, from the obviously stronger man. "Please, come to the basement and sit while I tell you a truth." Kisuke walked with the boy to the training cellar, he deposited the boy on the floor, and waited for him to listen. When the boy settled down he commenced in the telling.

"There is a story within Soul Society, which only the nobles and the Sou-Taichō learn of," he began. Kisuke told the boy everything he knew to be true about the lost princess of the Soul King. When he told the boy about the old man and what caused the Reiō to send his daughter away, Ulquiorra's eyes widened in shock.

He jumped to his feet, "Wait! I was that old man, Urahara-san!" he challenged. "What are you telling me!?"

As Kisuke figured, the boy knew this part of the story, because his past life lived it. "There is more you still don't know, Cifer-san." He waited again for the incensed boy to soothe, before he went on. "Inoue-san told me of how she left you on the roof of Las Noches. She shed **_pure_** **_tears_**," he paused to ensure the boy caught on to his explanation. "Pure tears are the tears a human sheds for someone they truly love. Because her rejection powers mixed with those pure tears, she bonded part of her human soul into you. You literally carry her spirit inside your bones."

Ulquiorra couldn't find words; the news stunned him into silence. He breathed in slow calming breaths and raised his hand to his temple. He rubbed it gently and stared at the ground, then thrust his other hand through his black tresses of hair, holding the back of his head. His scalp was pounding, from all the information he just received, "This can't be happening."

"You also need to know that, Inoue-san essentially died when she imploded, only to rise again," he continued. "This is a trait held by the Reiō and those he grants the power to. There are not many whom he allows this gift. The past lives her soul led before never had these circumstances, so when it died it went straight into the next girl child of the Inoue family. But once she regenerated, the Soul King could now track her essence. It would only be a matter of time before he came to retrieve her."

"He's going to take her?" Ulquiorra questioned the older man.

"I think I can carefully assume that he would have her in Reiōkyū, by now," he said and quickly grabbed the boy when he made an attempt to rush off. "Cifer-san," he used his dangerous tone with the hollow now, "I understand you want her back, but you put your life at risk even thinking about entering that place."

"You expect me to stand aside, while the woman I love is taken away from me… again!" he yelled. "I only just had her returned to me."

The genius scientist that was Urahara Kisuke smiled brightly at that moment. "You're going to need help to get into the Soul King's Palace, Cifer-san. That's all that I meant. Lucky for you, you have souls by your side that, feel an… **obligation**… to assist you."

As he said this, a dark opening appeared by their side. A Garganta was opening there in the cellar of the candy store, from it walked 3 individuals. These entities all possessed high amounts of spiritual pressure, and had a deadly aura to them.

Then one of the beings spoke, "Faqin hell man! I wouldn't help this shithead to save my life!"

* * *

**A/N: O.o… OMG what's, gonna happen now? *bites nails* bwahahahahahaha! Can you see it?**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:  
Chapter Soundtrack:  
Tears Don't Fall by Bullet for my Valentine-Ulquiorra's Theme  
Somewhere I belong by Linkin' Park-Orihime's Theme  
Click Click Boom by Saliva-Overall Chapter Theme  
**

* * *

Chapter 7: Admissions

"The extinction of your life can be arranged," another hollow replied.

"Don't you want to torture me later?" came a high pitched child-like sound. "Then shhhhhhhh, and do it for me, Cat."

"Ahh, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, thank you for coming so quickly," Urahara told the stunning beauty. Since the demise of Sōsuke Aizen, it was Nelliel that took control over Hueco Mundo, and made an alliance with Soul Society.

"Your man said that it was urgent and it would help to restore Ichigo, so of course we would come," the teal haired Arrancar told him.

"Yeah, I want to finish what we started! I'm telling you I can take the little shit now!" this coming from the newly named Tres Espada, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.

"Please, I'd like to destroy this excrement, Nelliel-sama," Tier Halibel, the Segunda Espada, pleaded with the Primera.

"Nooooo!" whined the child voice of Nelliel as she grabbed a hold of the Tres by his neck and smashed his face to her oversized bosom. "This is my cat, and I love it!" She stuck her tongue out at the Segunda for good measure.

Tier Halibel just sighed as she watched the Tres' eyes roll in the back of his head. She wasn't sure if he was enjoying his entrapment in the Primera's chest or trying to gather air to breathe. They all entered the vast training cellar. When Urahara stepped to his side the three Arrancar's caught sight of the only Espada they've not be able to account for, in over a year. Nelliel and Tier immediately dropped to their knees, while Grimmjow had to be pulled down by his woman.

Ulquiorra looked in astonishment at these creatures, bowing before him. Both women used to be his superior, so he was taken a back slightly at the sight. Grimmjow on the other hand, he figured he could do without.

"We didn't know what had happened to you Ulquiorra-sama," Nelliel spoke first. "When Nnoitra attained the Cuarto ranking, we assumed you had perished. Let me apologize, for the miscalculation."

"Please stop," Ulquiorra requested. "I have not led you; I am not your commander. So don't hold any tribute for me. When this is all done, I want nothing but to stay by my woman's side."

"You mean… you don't want to rule what is rightfully yours?" Tier asked of the Cero.

"When I think on it, I wouldn't be the Cero if not for the woman anyway. I will not return to Las Noches, and will not bring her back there," Ulquiorra affirmed. "Nelliel, Hueco Mundo and Las Noches have been in your care this whole time; I see no reason to change that."

"Yes, Ulquiorra-sama," Nelliel answered.

"And don't call me –sama, I haven't earned it," he replied.

Urahara stepped back into the conversation, after the Espada's made their observations. He explained to them what it was they would need to do in order to get Orihime back. "This is the only way she will return Cifer-san."

"I still do not like the idea, it will cause her sorrow. And I would be to blame for causing it, once again," the Cero Espada made this clear. "But you say this will release her from the Reiō?" The shop keeper nodded.

"And bringing her back will help Ichigo's powerlessness?" Nelliel asked of the scientist. Again he nodded.

"Then when do we leave?! I'm sick of this place already!" Grimmjow complained.

"One of you should remain in Hueco Mundo; if we should fail, there will be chaos there. And the agreement you have with Soul Society could crumple," Ulquiorra stated. The four Espada's agreed to have Tier Halibel remain and guard Las Noches and Hueco Mundo.

After Tier Halibel left for Hueco Mundo, Kisuke explained that he needed a few days to finish working out the details of their entrance into Reiōkyū. He explained the extreme danger they would face once they did get inside. But most importantly, they would need to make their way immediately to Reiō daidairi, where the Soul King himself resided. That would be where he would have Orihime. The Cero wanted to leave straightaway but Kisuke told him, he needed patience; the Reiō would do nothing to harm Orihime, seeing as she is the soul of his daughter.

While the days passed for Urahara to gather the rest of his intelligence, and the final preparations for this coup d'état, the Espada practiced in the basement of the candy shop. Grimmjow reveled in his new confidence as the Tres Espada, continually challenging Ulquiorra to combat, to which the Cero would only occasionally let himself be baited into. It was Nelliel that soundly put the panther in his place, with her quick reflexes and calculating temptations.

Finally the day arrived, and they were as ready as they would ever be. Urahara told them where to go and what to do, it was up to them once getting there to implement this plan successfully. He handed them each modified Inflatable Gigais.

"You can use these to propel yourselves to the Soul King's Residence once you're inside Reiōkyū," he told them. "The last thing I need to give you is an injection." He smiled broadly and pierced the Cero Espada first with a syringe. He pulled a large quantity of blood from him.

Scowling he yelled, "What was the purpose of that!?"

The Geta-boshi then divided the blood he retrieved into two new needles. "I did tell you before, the only way into Reiōkyū, is with the permission of the Soul King, or the Ōken." At the boy's nod, he continued, "Well this is the Ōken." He pointed to the hypodermics he just filled. "You have Inoue-san's essence in you, so you can enter without much effort. However for the other two, they would need a displacement of that spirit for themselves to enter." He proceeded to infuse the other hollows with the essence enriched blood of the Cero. "It will stay in the blood for three days; that is how long you have before you will be rejected by the Soul King's Realm," he paused for a moment then said. "And when I say rejected, I mean your existence will be nullified." He ignored the paranoid faces of the two hollows. "Nelliel and Grimmjow will use my reverse Chōkaimon. Cifer-san will enter Soul Society through Yoruichi's Senkaimon, and head to Shiba Kūkaku's residence. There he can use the Kakaku Hō, to catapult himself to the Reiōkyū omote sandō. This is the path you must cross to get into Reiō daidairi."

"Why don't we all use this Chōkaimon" asked Ulquiorra.

"The Royal Guard can open up a Chōkaimon, to send someone directly to the human world, and use the same gate to send the person back, but to do so require syncing the arrival and departure times," Urahara explained. "Since Nelliel and Grimmjow have a restricted amount of time, it's easier for me to sync their times. It will also support their return to the human world without the fear of the penalty of nullification."

Ulquiorra gave the shop keeper a weary glance. After spending the last few weeks with this man, he learned when Urahara wasn't telling him everything. This was one of those times. Both men looked at each other. One looked with jubilance and merriment, the other with cold calculation. Without any time left to contemplate what he could be hiding, an understanding passed between the two men. All were ready now, and Ulquiorra was sent off into the Senkaimon that appeared before the group.

Kuchiki Byakuya and Suì-Fēng were met by captains Ukitake Jūshirō and Shunsui Kyōraku, when they arrived in Seireitei.

"Jūshirō… You were the one that spent some time with her, did you of all people, not have even an idea about her lineage?" asked Shunsui.

"I noted that she was a remarkable fighter and her ability even more so. She brought out a new side to my Lieutenant, Kuchiki Rukia, but as far as what was hidden beneath I am just as shocked as all of you," Ukitake answered his best friend. Orihime was taken to Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, where the captains discussed how they would go about returning her to her father. All were in agreement that this was an extraordinary situation; they never had to deal with before. There was no precedent on how to handle it.

"I think we have time, I'd like to take her to my lab for an… examination," it was Kurotsuchi Mayuri who was the first to speak, on the subject.

"Absolutely not!" Yamamoto Sou-Taichō voiced his disapproval. "There will be little to no further contact with the weaver princess. The Royal Guard has already notified 1st division, the Soul King will retrieve her once she is taken to Sōkyoku Hill. Is that understood!?" The captains concurred, and Orihime was taken to the familiar site. It was Jūshirō who carried the young woman, once there she was lifted from his arms and taken away to Reiōkyū.

Orihime awoke in a large bedroom. She had never dreamed of such a room in her entire life. She looked around trying to discern whether this was all her imagination. She used her hand to pinch the side of her thigh, hard. 'Nope, not a dream,' she thought. She tried to lift her body from the bed, but found that she couldn't. She felt as if she weighed 10 times her current weight. "Urahara-san, what's going on?" she called for her sensei.

"Daughter…" a voice rang through the room.

Orihime sucked in a breath. 'Who was that?' she wondered. "Where am I?" she demanded.

"Daughter, you are finally back where you belong," the voice said. "Your mother will be with you shortly, she has waited far too long for you."

The weaver princess began to recall the story Urahara told her days ago, about the princess that the Soul King had to give up. 'Why was he calling her his daughter?' she thought. She was his great-great-granddaughter. "I'm not your daughter, Reiō. I am a decedent of Takako," she tried to plead with him.

"You are the soul of my daughter, Orihime. You have her essence within you. I know who you are," he told her. "It is you who do not know."

"What do I not know?" she asked. The voice didn't return but the door at the other end of the room began to open. Orihime strained her neck trying to see who was entering the space with her. From the door a tall woman entered. She had remarkably long blond hair. Her eyes were a deep blue, and her features seemed familiar. Orihime felt affectionate towards this woman, as if she was an important person to her.

"Hello, Ta-, Orihime," the woman spoke to her in a gentle voice. "I am Miki."

Orihime heard the woman's name and her eyes grew large with astonishment. This was her, the woman from the story. She was Takako's mother. "Why can't I move? Why am I being held captive here?" she asked the woman. "I don't respond well to being held hostage."

"You are not a prisoner, my dear. You are a guest," Miki stated. "The reason you can't move right now is because you have yet to adjust to the atmosphere here. It's quite a bit denser than your body is used to." The woman placed her hands on either side of Orihime's face, and caressed her cheeks. Her eyes seemed to be sad, and the touch of this woman made Orihime relax.

"Will you tell me why I was brought here?" she asked of the older woman. Miki stood then, and walked away from the bed.

"For the longest time, we had given up hope of having our daughter returned to us," the courtesan started. "When he erased Takako's memories, and sent her to the human realm, my world ended. I felt then, that I would never see her again," Miki paused for a moment then continued, "For years we waited, and she never joined us here. But then her soul cried out. It was the saddest sound, filled with pain and anguish." The loving woman had tears in her eyes, when she turned to face Orihime again. "It was there in Hueco Mundo. The soul we had searched decades for, was in that lonely place. We feared then that she had turned hollow. But Reiō could finally trace his daughter's spirit and found that she was atop a fortress in the Hollow Sphere." Miki walked gracefully to the girl on the bed, she sat beside her and pulled her into her arms. "When you died atop of Las Noches, the essence that was our daughter was released. It was her soul that brought you back as the phoenix. You are not only Inoue Orihime; you are also Takako, my daughter. You have reincarnated over and over never releasing that spirit, until that moment. You are the daughter of the Soul King."

Ulquiorra was greeted by Shihōin Yoruichi upon arriving on the other side of the gate. With her were Kuchiki Rukia, and Abarai Renji, they would escort the hollow to the next phase. Surprisingly Ulquiorra felt at ease being here. His memories of his past life must be what alleviated his anxiety.

"This is nuts! I mean come on! We're Shinigami, why are we taking a hollow through Soul Society!?" Renji just couldn't keep his cool about the situation.

Rukia bashed the vice-captain and her best friend since childhood in his ribs then answered his question, "Would you pipe down! The last thing we need is for certain people to find this out! Besides we are doing this for both Orihime AND Ichigo! Urahara said this was the only way to save them both, so we're just gonna do it, and if we mess up, we take our punishment."

"No WAY! I'm blaming the pervert!" Renji countered, and was systematically punched twice. One punch to the gut by Rukia, and one knock in the head from the Shihōin Princess. "Shit! I'm jus' sayin' this is insane!" The woman gave him another stern look and Renji quieted himself.

"Shiba Kūkaku's residence is just over there," Yoruichi told the group. "You know how to concentrate your reiatsu, so the Reishūkaku should be no trouble for any of you. You'll need that to take the Kakaku Hō, to the Soul King's Palace."

They entered the home of the Shiba Family Head, "What a sorrier sonovabitch I've never seen," the voice of the clan leader bellowed from the hall. "Why are you standing around there for? We don't have much time before the Seireitei finds out what's going on and tries to put a stop to this!" The leader of the Shiba family stood at the entrance to the training area, she was a youthful-looking woman of average height. The woman had green eyes and wore bandages over her long messy black hair. Ulquiorra noticed she was missing her right arm and she wore wooden sandals not unlike Urahara Kisuke. They practiced with the Reishūkaku, and when he was ready Kūkaku prepared the cannon.

"I am very grateful to your assistance in this, but I am curious as to why you would aid me," the Cero Espada asked of the weird woman.

"Urahara explained the situation to me. I can't refuse a favor asked of him. That is all you need to know," she told him as she rubbed the stump where her right arm used to be.

Yoruichi noticed something move beyond the trees beside the Shiba residence. She slipped into the background easily, and waited for whoever was there, to show themselves. When the entity was closer she knew exactly who it was. She would distract the captain approaching until Ulquiorra could make his way to the cannon.

"You're a little out of the way aren't you?" the Shihōin clan leader expressed. Then grabbed the petite woman by her waist and carried her off into the tress. "What brings you all the way out here, Suì-Fēng?"

"Yoruichi-sama, I mean… uh…uh…uh… This is completely futile, I have already sent the keigun to infiltrate and arrest the intruder," Suì-Fēng stuttered out. Being this close to her former captain always made her anxious.

"Aww, Suì-Fēng hahaha, I already know that," the Goddess of Flash said to her and showed her another reason she earned that name. Yoruichi claimed the younger woman's lips in a heated kiss and had the current captain of squad 2 disrobed, while they were still in flight amongst the trees.

Kūkaku having already been well informed by Yoruichi that the Punishment force was on their way, she had the hollow in and ready to blast him to the Soul King's Realm. She began the launch sequence and chanted the incantation required for it. When the keigun came barging into the Shiba home, the cannon had already been fired off, and Ulquiorra was on his way to Reiōkyū.

"What?" she says to the men entering her home. "We were having a cook out, and the guests asked for fireworks… what's the problem?"

* * *

**A/N:**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:  
****Chapter Soundtrack:  
This is War by 30 Seconds to Mars- Ulquiorra's Theme  
No More Sorrow by Linkin' Park- Orihime's Theme  
Try by Pink- Overall Chapter Theme**

* * *

Chapter 8: The Princess Crusade

The sphere popped onto the Reiōkyū omote sandō, without fanfare. Unlike when Ichigo and the other Ryoka entered Soul Society, Ulquiorra maintained great control over the Reishūkaku. The Reiōkyū omote sandō consisted of 5 discs surrounding a floating palace. He landed on the second closest disc to the Soul King's Residence. Upon impact with the path, the hollow began the trek that would lead them to the weaver princess.

He retrieved one of the Gigais he had in his possession, following Urahara's instructions he inflated it, and then strapped it to his back. Using his Zanpakutō, he lanced the Gigai and was propelled high into the air and across to the other floating disc. When he landed, there was a bright light that crossed his path and out of it, came his companions.

"Fuuuuuhhk! That was one nasty ride!" Grimmjow declared.

"The air is so thick here," Nelliel observed. "We need to get across this disc, to the palace there."

"The Gigais Urahara-san gave us seem to work well at thrusting our forms across the vast distance," Ulquiorra told his companions. "Let's move we only have 2 days left, before both of you need to get out of here."

They made their way to jump the last gap between them and their mission, when someone called from behind them. Standing there was a dark-skinned man with thick, black hair, which was shaved and dyed green on the sides. His outfit looks to be that of the Shinigami uniform. Worn over his hakama is a white, sleeveless jacket, along the bottom hem is the alternating circle and diamond pattern of a captain's haori. He has on gold-framed sunglasses with blue lenses.

"Look, look, look, here have we do what?" the strange man now spoke in a backwards speech. "Here belong don't you of two least at." He then laughed out loud, with an obnoxious nasally sound.

The hollows raised their Zanpakutōs at the man. The odd Shinigami then flipped over and landed in front of the hollows. Pointing one finger at Nelliel, he flicks his hand upwards; his spiritual pressure knocks her down. "I am Nimaiya Ōetsu, I want to know what it is that brought hollows here." The man was now very serious.

Nelliel couldn't get up from the ground. Ōetsu's reiatsu seemed to pin her to the ground. Grimmjow, seeing his queen, owner, and lover taken down, reacted without thought next. He tried to strike the weirdo with his sword, but it would not reach him. "Whadafaq!?" Grimmjow shouted. "I can't… I can't even strike this asshole!"

"Of course, Pantera will not cut his creator," Ōetsu explained. The Shinigami watched all the hollows eyes widen in shock. He laughed again, riotously. "Did you really think you could enter this place, with my Zanpakutōs, and I'd let you mar me with them? Hahaha! Funny Cat, you are!" He then pulled the blade from Grimmjow's hands and flipped it into his own. Pantera was now pointed at the astonished Grimmjow.

'**He's right, Cifer. I can't cut him either**,' the voice of Shin no Zetsubō tells the Cero. '**But he won't cut you with the blade.**'

'What do you mean?' Ulquiorra asked of his soul's blade.

'**I can't cut this man,**' Kanzen said again. '**He is the Zanpakutō creator. But I am also forged from your soul, and as such, I cannot harm myself.'**

'I see," Ulquiorra stated. With a quick spin, Ulquiorra flicked and overturned the Zanpakutō out of Ōetsu's hands. Grimmjow caught it midair, and had the blade thrust before him again. Both men now had their blades pointed at the Shinigami. "This is a monotonous game you are playing Shinigami. You can't cut us with our own swords, just as we cannot cut you," the Cero clarified. "So why don't you let us know what it is you are really after."

"Well, well, well. You are indeed worthy of your Murciélago, chan-Cifer," the Zanpakutō creator said to him. "Know doesn't Soul King the nothing is there." Ōetsu said, and then proceeded to knock out all three hollows with his spiritual pressure.

Before he fell into blackness, Ulquiorra could see the Shinigami looking down at him. There was only one word he could speak, "Tsuma."

"The weaver princess, see to you for then more nothing wants Reiō chan-Cifer worry don't," he said in his backwards speech.

He called his Zanpakutō spirits to grab the hollows from where he laid them out, when they asked him where, and what he wanted to do with them, he just stated, "We're taking them where they want to go, of course." And off they went, in the direction of the Reiōkyū, and the Soul King.

Orihime blinked many times, she couldn't believe what she just heard. 'I… AM… the Soul King's daughter,' she thought to herself. She wondered if then if Urahara actually did lie to her. "I'm… trying to understand what you mean. I was told that Takako was my great-great-grandmother."

"And she was," Miki told the young woman. She caressed her hair, and smoothed her hand down Orihime's cheek. "When she died, Takako should have come straight to Reiōkyū, but her soul was sent into the next girl child born to the Inoue family. And every life thereafter, she repeated the same process. It was only when your body died due to your sorrow for what had happened there on Las Noches, that the soul of Takako was released. When you reawakened, you held both the essence of Inoue Orihime, and the essence of Takako. Surely you know this."

Orihime thought back to when she gained her newer powers. She gained it when she accepted Horou, and later produced a blue phoenix to immobilize the Quinta, Nnoitra. Then when she was inside the shrinking fireball, she was with Horou and trying to get her message to Ulquiorra that he needed to move. _***Orihime could feel the battle raging around her, as her fire became smaller and smaller. There was nowhere she could go, and nothing she could do. She no longer wanted the 'nothingness'. She wanted her home, she wanted her friends, but most importantly, she wanted the man who truly stole her heart. _

_'Orihime?' Horou Hanahime was encompassing her, as she spoke to her. 'Ulquiorra is in danger,' she informed the healer. _

_'I know, I can feel it,' she told her hollow woman. _

_'No, not from the beast… from us!' she said and shocked the woman._

_'What!? How!?' she asked._

_'Your anger was beyond even my conception.' Horou said apprehensively. 'When Ulquiorra broke your heart, I tried to engulf you in the prism to give you time to cool down. But the rage was so immense.'_

_'What is going to happen?' Orihime asked nervously._

_'We are going to explode, from what I gather,' the hollow princess gave the uneasy response. _

_The shocked Orihime gave a small cry then tried to reach out through her connection, to Ulquiorra. She told him to move, but there was no time, and he was too damn stubborn. As the fire came to a miniscule point, it erupted. ***_ After that point she remembered, there was something else with her. Something she didn't pay attention to at the time. When she spoke, there were two voices coming from her. She gained a second sword, which produced a purple dragon. Purple is the color of perfect balance, while the dragon was the legendary symbol of royalty.

Miki saw the realization cross Orihime's features, and she knew her daughter was truly returned to her. When she embraced the young woman in a motherly embrace, Orihime's arms lifted from there place at her sides to wrap around the older woman.

"Mo… Mother…?" Orihime's voice was nothing more than a whisper. Tears spilled over onto her cheeks. Miki could no longer hold her own tears back either. The two women wept in each other's embrace. Then Orihime felt something, something very familiar, and extremely strong. She could feel him, Ulquiorra was near here. He was very close to where she was. But something was wrong; it felt like his life was being torn away from him. "Mother, what is going on? Why do I feel Ulquiorra's presence dying away?"

"Your father expected the hollow to try to make his way here," Miki began. "He will retrieve the last of your essence from the thief, and he will become nothing."

"WHAT!?" the princess exclaimed.

The hollows were taken into the Soul King's palace. Ōetsu had them laid in the court room of Reiō. In the middle of the room was a large box-like structure. Swirling around it was immense energy waves. Ulquiorra was the first of the hollows to awaken; he looked over to find his companions. Nelliel was turned into a child, while Grimmjow's back was shredded and his Tres tattoo was gone. 'What is happening to them?' he thought. He didn't expect the answer, nor for it to come from the box.

"They are being nullified, hollow," the voice came and as he spoke the top of the enclosure seemed to start peeling away from the top of the box. "They carried my daughters' essence within them; I will take it back for her." The boy was barely able to stand, but managed to get on his feet.

"You don't have to do that to them," he tried to reason with the Reiō. "Send them back, to Hueco Mundo. I came here to give up the soul within me, for Orihime's release."

"You don't have a choice in the matter hollow," the Soul King told him. "I will simply take that which belongs to me!" Ulquiorra felt his insides start to burn, like part of his body was being torn in two. He looked back at his fellow hollows; he could see Grimmjow begin to turn from his Arrancar form, into an Adjuchas panther.

"I'm… telling you, you… can have… her soul… that is inside me…," the Cero explained again. He was finding it harder and harder to breath. "But… the woman… she doesn't… belong to… you!" As he said this to the Soul King, Ulquiorra collected his power, concentrating his reiatsu, and called out, "Tozase Murciélago!" The hollow human boy transformed. Ulquiorra had small horns protrude from atop his head; his black hair grew longer to below his shoulders. His fingers enlarged and they were claw like. The tear drop etchings reappeared and were elongated, thicker and blacker then before. His clothes were ripped in the back to reveal the oversized smooth shadowy wings of a bat.

Ulquiorra didn't waste his time, he collected whatever remained of his spiritual pressure for his second release, and he'd need it for this fight. "Resurrección Segunda Etāpa, Shin no Zetsubō!" From the hole in Ulquiorra's ear, spilled forth his black and green spiritual energy, wrapping him up in it. When he reappeared from the spiritual cocoon, he attained his long sharp tail, clawed feet and hands. The horns on his head were longer and pointed upwards. He looked like he did atop Las Noches, save for the hollow hole no longer at his chest and his skin no longer pale.

"She is not the kind of person who will stay enclosed in such a place. I will give you what she recklessly handed to me, I only want her free," he told the Soul King. Then he added, "But if you think she belongs to you… you are wrong. The woman is MINE!" Ulquiorra was running out of energy and time, this being seemed to be sucking his reserves from him. He formed his Lanza Del Relámpago, and while he disliked using the weapon at such a close range to himself, he plunged it into the floor below him. The Soul King yelled as if he himself were struck by the missile. An opening appeared then, in the flooring.

"The hollow, the one which hurt you, he took your essence and regenerated himself with it," Miki told her daughter. "Did you not know that?"

This made Orihime pause for a minute. "You're right. I don't know that. I know I was taken away from my parents by my brother, because they were cruel. I lived my life in contentment with him, until he was taken away from me. Because of my attachment to him, I turned my brother into a hollow, and he attacked me," she argued. Her anger was spiking, and she was able to sit up from bed. "My life was tedious, until I met and friended Kurosaki Ichigo. Falling in love with Ichigo changed my life, in ways I could never have imagined. If not for that, I never would have met Ulquiorra. I don't know who I am?" she enquired. "I am Inoue Orihime. I am an exceptional human. I am a loyal friend to my nakama. But the most important thing is I am more than just the lover of Ulquiorra Cifer, the most powerful Espada. He didn't take anything from me, that I didn't give him!" As she said these things the ceiling above them opened up. At the top Orihime could see her Espada, he was about to lose the fight with the Soul King. She was able to remove herself from her restrictions and flashed towards the reiatsu that was the Cero Espada. Miki was left to ponder her daughter's words.

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**A/N: The story is going to be 10 chapters, I already have Chapter 10 half done. Enjoy.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Before you ask why, I've had these last two chapter's completed for days now, I was just doing my best to proofread them, further explanation in the A/N of the next chapter.  
Chapter Soundtrack:  
Time of Dying by Three Days Grace-Ulquiorra's Theme  
Closer to the Edge by 30 Seconds to Mars-Takako/Horou/Orihime's Theme  
Cold by** **Crossfade-The Reiō's Theme  
Don't You Worry Child by Swedish House Mafia-Overall Chapter Theme**

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Chapter 9: The Reason

He was right! The entire structure was made from the Soul King's reiatsu. If he slashed at the building he would impact the Reiō. He formed his lance again, and plunged it into the crack. The more he pounded on the flooring, the more the man in the box was exposed. Ulquiorra could see his entire head emerge from it. His hair was dark, and slicked back. He had the most intense eyes Ulquiorra had ever seen, aside from Horou Hanahime. These eyes were dark, but the pupils were white and held the shape of four pointed stars.

"You foul creature, you dare to dictate to ME!" the Soul King raged. "What gives you more right to my daughter then I?!" Then from the Soul King, came a burst of orange and purple light. "I will erase you permanently from this world and all others!" Green light clashed with the mixture of the orange and purple, as the Soul King fought with the hollow man. Ulquiorra flew to the top of cylindrical palace, and threw his newly formed lance at the king. It seemed until the Soul King could emerge fully from his internment within the box, the Cero had every opportunity to wound and puncture him. Ulquiorra was doing his best not to do too much harm to the father of Orihime. The Reiō flicked his eyes at the lance; it steered off course and blasted into the far wall to the side of the Cero. Ulquiorra was slashed in his side by it, and fell to the ground.

"You don't even know the woman," Ulquiorra announced to the King. As he spoke blood spewed from his lips. He knew this would be the outcome if he fought this soul, he knew he would perish. But he would do everything he could release his woman.

"And what is it, you know about her, that I do not?" he asked the boy. The Soul King's reiatsu was so immense now; it pressed the hollow to the floor of the palace. Ulquiorra was finding it even more difficult to breath.

"I know… what… is in… her…heart!" his mind was brought back to Tower 5, when Orihime told him that all her friends were of one heart. If any of them would have disappeared like she had, she would have gone to any length to find them. He finally understood what she'd meant, because he would go to any length to ensure her freedom, and safety. Not just because he was in love with her, but because he loved her more his own life. With the last reserves of his strength he poured all of his reiatsu into one last Lanza Del Relámpago. So much energy was dispensed into it, it was larger and hotter than he had ever experienced before. From the ground in which he lay, he launched his final attack at the Soul King. No matter what happened now, it was the end for him, and he had done all he could for his woman.

He knew the lance would never make it to the Soul King himself, so he aimed it at the base of his prison. There was no time for the King to counter this attack. When it connected with the base, there was a massive explosion, and the King found himself on the ground, near him was a substantial hole and his face showed signs of pain. But this was not enough to keep the King down. He pushed himself up and now free of the confines, paced his way to the fallen hollow.

Lifting the younger man in one hand, the king pulled him to his face. With his other hand stretched back, the king formed a ball of light. "I know what is in her heart as well. It was because of you, she suffered on the roof of Las Noches." The king slammed his lit fist into the side of the hollow. Ulquiorra ejected more fluid from his mouth. "It was because of you, she cried out in anguish!" Once again he slammed his fist into the boy. "It was because of you, she has a piece of herself missing! I will return it to her!" Before the king could hit Ulquiorra again, the jaws of the Adjuchas panther clamped down onto his arm. The king shook Grimmjow off, and then kicked the panther across the floor, landing next to the child Nel. The two hollows looked at each other in sadness. They wouldn't last much longer.

The King made to connect his fist with the hollow boy once again, when he was suddenly and violently thrust backwards. Before him was an immense blue flame surrounded by a white light. "Ao Hinotori Hakka Suru!" the voice of Orihime shouted and from her blade formed the blue phoenix. As she flashed towards her man, she called for her sword, and converted into her samurai form. "Sōten Kisshun!" she called as she kept her blue phoenix out, to keep the Reiō at bay while she did her best to heal Ulquiorra.

"Daughter, you would protect this creature, before your own father?!" the King sounded outraged.

"You might very well be the father of the soul I possess, but that is where our familiarity ends," Orihime shouted at him. "And this MAN is not some creature. He is much more than that." She walked closer to Ulquiorra. "He is my lover, my friend… and my husband!"

**_Three years in the inner world…_**

_Ulquiorra was sitting by the bank of the river, watching his woman as she skipped across the silvery water. She was stunning, and he could think of nothing he'd rather do then spend the rest of his life seeing her smile. She looked up at him then, she had the look of a woman fully gratified with her existence. _

_"Ulquiorra…?" Orihime called as she made her way to him. "What were you thinking just now?"_

_"Just that, I want to see your smile," he told his lover. As she crept on her knees when she reached the edge, Ulquiorra crawled to her as well. They met with a passionate kiss. They both sighed in satisfaction at the caress. "Would you stay with me…" he said when they broke away from each other. _

_"Of course I will," she proclaimed. She started to pull his top from him, but he stopped her._

_"Wait, I am asking you a serious question," the Espada pulled his woman in close and asked her again. "What I'm saying is… would you be with me, forever. Until this life ends and even after?"_

_Orihime sucked in a hasty breath and brought her hand to her lips. She blinked back the tears that threatened to ruin her moment with this man. When she composed herself again she placed one hand over his heart and the other over hers. She then gave him the only answer she could, "I will, I am and I will always be… yours, Ulquiorra." _

_Ulquiorra did the same and repeated her words, "I will, I am and will always be yours, Orihime."_

_In that moment a light passed through the hands that were placed on each other's hearts, green energy passed into Orihime, while orange energy passed into Ulquiorra. They fell into another embrace and made love to each other there on the bank. When they woke from the slumber that came after, a new grove of fruit trees emerged on the other side of the river. Horou and Kanzen came running up the river from the home they shared in this world. They had huge smiles on their faces and began yelling at the couple on the river, "Congratulations!" _

_The surprised couple barely had time to cover themselves before Kanzen jumped his master. "You sonovabitch! I didn't think you had it in you!"_

_Horou sat at their side and smiled wide, "I am so very happy for you both."_

_"What in the world are you talking about?" Orihime asked of them._

_The hollow couple looked at each other, then back at Orihime and Ulquiorra. "You two just combined your souls together… for eternity! You're married in this life and all others!" Kanzen explained. "And that also means… Horou is mine forever! Wooooohooooo!" With that explosion of emotion he threw himself at the hollow princess, tackling her to the grass, and kissing her soundly._

_"Goodness, you foolish man! You were always mine anyway!" she told her lover and pulled him in close with her hands around his neck. _

_"Wait," Ulquiorra was enquiring now. "We what? We're… married?"_

_Orihime's eyes widen in amazement and then softened into large saucers of elation. "We will always be married to each other… In every life we will find each other, fall in love, and be together."_

_Kanzen leaned in close to his master and whispered into his ear, "Bro… she's quicker than you, you know that?" _

_Ulquiorra soundly elbowed his counterpart in the ribs, but smiled widely. He liked this idea. She would be his, and he hers, until time no longer existed. He pulled her close to him, and spoke softly in her ear, "I love you, Tsuma." _

_"I love you, Otto," she said back to him. Closing the gap between their lips they shared another impassioned kiss. _

The princess bent herself closer to Ulquiorra; she was having trouble mending the gash at his side. She lean over him, and grasped his outstretched hand. "I… I can't heal you fast enough," she informed the Cero.

"I know, Tsuma," Ulquiorra voiced to her. "I never expected to make it out of here. I just wanted you free."

"You… you're going to leave me again!?" she said as her tears fell. She looked into her husband's eyes and saw that he clearly expected all this. Orihime knew she was supposed to keep her anger in check, but at this moment there would be no controlling it. Her skin began to heat up.

"No, Onna! You can't!" Ulquiorra yelled at his wife. He knew what was about to happen, he'd already experienced this volatile side to her. He didn't want her to go through the hell of the last year again. "Please, calm yourself, Orihime."

"How can you ask that of me!?" Orihime screamed. Her reiatsu began to flame higher, she singed Ulquiorra's hand. She turned now towards the Soul King, who was rising from the floor his daughter slammed him on.

"I promised to return you here, to your mother. That is what I plan to do," he told his daughter.

"STOP!" screamed the mother of Takako, as she entered the chamber. She finally understood what her daughter had told her, and she needed to stop the King. But she came too late.

The Reiō pulled Ulquiorra's soul from his body. Orihime fell to the ground, as he did this. From her body emerged a green light. When it left her, Orihime's body burst into a purple flame. The Soul King looked on in bafflement, "What did you do?" he asked of her now. The Soul King raced to his daughter's side, lifting her into his arms. "Takako, what did you do?"

"You will not go alone, Ulquiorra." She said to the body of her husband on the floor. Her eyes now turned to the Soul King. From the purple flame rose the dragon and it cried a sorrowful sound. It swirled around the body of Orihime, and elevated her from her father's arms. It spun faster creating a ball of flame, which surged and erupted around the courtroom. The essence that was inside Inoue Orihime surged out, it was the soul of Takako. The form the women took was that of the phoenix that was atop Las Noches. She had her frothy wings, her duel colored orange and red eyes. The yellow lamellar amour and the purple flame that surrounded them, beside them both was Horou. Horou spoke, and held the voices of all the women.

The Soul King's eyes widened in disbelief, of all these women, only Horou reminded him of Takako the most. "Takako? You… did become a hollow," his voiced choked on his every word.

All the memories came rushing back to Horou in that moment, her time as this soul's daughter, her transgression upon the old man, and her time as Inoue Takako. After so long she was able to voice her sorrow and her reasoning. "I was made hollow when I left your realm," she informed him. "Father, I have never blamed you for sending me away. I stayed with this family for these decades, to find the one I had wronged," she said to the Reiō. "I was pained at having been so careless with my power." She walked to the king now, as she moved the phoenix moved with her. She stood before her father. "When Orihime found Ulquiorra, our hearts knew before our reason did; what we were to each other. When we were wounded by his suffering at our hands, we imparted our soul into his." Horou bent to her father now, and grasped his hands. "When he was returned to us, we wanted nothing more than to seal our lives to each other." The hollow princess gave the king a meaningful look, conveying him to understand her words.

"You… soul bonded? With the hollow?" he asked of his child. At her nod he lowered his head in sadness. A soul bond was something even he couldn't break. They each dedicated part of their essence into the others'. To kill one, would be to kill the other. They can never be separated. From his side Miki wept, and he pulled her into his arms. "I'm sorry, love. I didn't know," he told the mother of his child.

"Give it back," she told the King. "Give him the essence back, Reiō. If you don't she will be incomplete, and be a hollow forever." She begged the Soul King, "I'd rather have my daughter be half hollow and able to be seen. Then a full hollow and never get a chance to glimpsed her again."

The king reached out to his daughter, in his hand he held the essence that was taken from the hollow boy. Horou took her father's hand and the soul within it, closed her eyes and stretched her other towards her husband's body. The purple flamed phoenix and dragon blazed hotter and higher. She swirled around the clasped hands, and then merged with Horou. From the hands illuminated the orange glow of Orihime's power, in the mixture of energy was a green light. Ulquiorra's body was lifted off the ground as his essence was returned to him.

When it was done, the princess rested his body back to the ground. She then walked to the two hollows that were succumbing to the King's nullification. She removed the Reiō's curse from them, and both were returned to their former natures. Nelliel was back to her adult form, and Grimmjow was no longer the Adjuchas panther. The two hollows embraced, and suddenly a yellow light caught both of them and they were taken out of the Soul King's Palace.

The Soul King's face grimaced at the sight. "Urahara Kisuke! He planned this whole thing out, didn't he!?" Miki grabbed her lover, and shook her head.

"No more, Reiō," she pleaded. She brought her hands to his face and said, "This is enough, my love. Let this go, so we can finally have peace." The King looked at his woman, and nodded.

Orihime was returned to her human form and held Ulquiorra's head in her lap. Green eyes met the slate ones, when they opened once more. "You are never going to be alone again, so don't think you can give me up so easy!" she hissed at him. She lowered her lips to his and kissed him zealously.

He brought his hand up to stroke her cheek, and then threaded his fingers into her hair. When she lifted her face from his, he was able to speak, "Tsuma, you're free. That was all I wanted."

"Daughter?" the Soul King turned to Orihime. "If you wish to go, I will send you back to the world of the living. However, when I call for you in the future, I hope that you come without trepidation."

"I will appear Reiō, as long as you understand my husband will join me," she told the King. The King nodded his agreement, and raised his arm at the pair. When he flicked his wrist, the couple was sent back down to the human world.

"You have no choice now but to accept the boy," the courtesan told the king.

"That is true, considering he holds not only my daughter's heart, but my grandchildren's as well," The Soul King announced. "Speaking of grandchildren, I need to have word sent to my good for nothing son, Shiba Isshin!"

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**A/N: Last Chapter is coming next ... Enjoy! Read and Review Please :D**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I'll be traveling for the next week, so I'm glad I got to finish this story. *LEMON ALERT* Just so you know, I never intended for there to be a lemon here… it just happened, I think these two just can't keep their hands off each other ;)  
Chapter Soundtrack:  
Niña Bonita by Chino y Nacho-Ulquiorra's Theme  
No One by Alicia Keys-Orihime's Theme  
Kings and Queens by 30 Seconds to Mars-Overall Chapter Theme**

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Chapter 10: Jovial Culminations

Orihime and Ulquiorra appeared at her home after the Soul King let them go. She still held him in her arms. He relaxed into her embrace, while she took this opportunity to stand abruptly. Ulquiorra's head slammed into the ground, "What the HELL, did you think you were doing back there, huh!?" she bellowed.

"Tsuma, I was just following as Urahara instructed," he tried to explain.

_"Urahara-san? While we were inside her world, something happened," Ulquiorra tried to express the complication that was their world. "We… pledged ourselves to each other. The hollows announced us as married. I felt as if, a bigger piece of her is inside me now. Will this change the plan at all?" _

_The genius Shinigami thought on what he just heard for a time. "The way to get her back is to have the Soul King return her himself," Kisuke stated. "You must forgo the part of the soul within you, which holds Inoue-san's. Give it up to the Reiō, he will of course see that as a rouse, and demand that he take it from you. When he does, Inoue-san will feel your death. She will return to her phoenix state, revealing the soul within her to the Soul King. If I'm correct, it is that soul that will modify the Soul King's philosophy." After contemplating the situation he replied, "This is the only way she will return Cifer-san."_

_"I still do not like the idea, it will cause her sorrow. And I would be to blame for causing it, once again," the Cero Espada made this clear. _

"So he knew all along didn't he…?" Orihime said after Ulquiorra described Urahara's plan. "He knew that our souls couldn't be broken apart after the soul bond." They took their conversation inside her apartment. Ulquiorra nodded, to confirm her analysis. Orihime was left speechless.

The hollows entered the cellar of the perverted candy shop owner; Kisuke was standing there with a lecherous grin behind his fan. "Helllll~oooooo~, Arrancars! I'd like to thank you for choosing to fly on Urahara Air. Please make sure to depart the Chōkaimon to your left."

Grimmjow flew at the Shinigami, grabbing him from the haori at his chest. He would have lifted the man from the ground, but the shop keeper flipped his cane over and hooked the Espada's foot. Grimmjow fell back soundly to face the end of the cane pointed at his head. "I understand things didn't go exactly as I told you they would, but that was to ensure that Cifer-san did as he had to do," Kisuke explained. The angered Grimmjow snarled at the man above him, but found he couldn't move from the energy radiating from the cane. "Good of you to think about your own wellbeing, before you did something foolish… Sexta."

Grimmjow's eyed widen in shock, "Sexta? Whadafaq, you mean Sexta!?"

"It seems our dear Inoue-san did indeed restore you; however she never knew you as the Tres Espada. So she restored you both to forms she recognized," the scientist informed them.

"Then why is Nelliel-?" the Sexta was cut off from asking how his queen could be an adult. She was falling to the ground as he spoke.

"Grimm," Nelliel felt dizzy, and then collapsed. Her body was surrounded by smoke and sand. When it cleared the Primera Espada, was turned back into a child.

"OH, FUCK NO!" Grimmjow bellowed. He picked the girl up from the ground. "What the hell? What am I supposed to do with… THIS!?"

"Hehehe, Kawaii~ Kitty!" the little child screeched at Grimmjow. She grabbed him about his neck and climbed atop his head. "Hahaha! My Cat!"

Grimmjow's face showed his annoyance, "Get that woman back here, and have her fix this!"

"Hmmm, I don't know that she can," announced the shop keeper. "I believe all the stress from the recent events, has reverted her back to her child form. Inoue-san did have Nelliel-san in her adult form when I retrieved you."

"What about restoring our ranks?" the Sexta asked of the weird man.

"I'm sure we can figure something out about that, Grimmjow-san," Kisuke smiled wide and devilishly. Grimmjow wasn't so sure he liked the sound of that.

"Uwahwa-san? What abwout Itsygo?" the child arrancar asked then. "You swaid getting hahr back would help him. What can she do?"

"Now that she knows how to use those rejections powers to their fullest," the scientist revealed, "she'll be able to use that power for the device I'm working on. I believe that is the only thing that will restore his powers." Kisuke held a sad look to his eyes as he thought of the young man. He felt responsible for all the wrongs done him, and he wanted to repay the boy for all his sacrifices. He shook his head to clear it, and spoke once more to the duo. "Considering they only just arrived back here to the Human World, I would say they need some time. Go back to Hueco Mundo, and when they are ready I'll let Inoue-san know your predicament."

The Garganta opened up and both hollows crossed it. As they crossed into Hueco Mundo, Kisuke could hear the child arrancar further annoy her companion. "What are we gonna do, kitty? Will you chase me in a game of eternal pursuit, and make Nel cry, and cry and cry?" The Sexta Espada just breathed a heavy sigh and the Garganta closed behind them. Kisuke dialed the princess' number and texted a message, it read: 'When you have finished your, "reunion" with your lover, please come by the shop, we have things to discuss… … … But please, there is no rush ;-)'

Isshin was working in his clinic when his soul was suddenly ripped from his body and he was transported to the Soul King's realm. He shook his head and looked up to find his father staring down at him. "Geez, Old Man! What the hell was that for?!" he yelled, and was soundly beaten in the head by the King.

"You should have been prepared for this, boy!" the Reiō hollered at his son. Using just two fingers the Soul King lifted the Shinigami up to his feet, and held him in place there. "How long have you known your sister was there in the human world?"

Isshin scowled at the older man, "I only just found out!" he thundered. He hadn't spoken with his father since before he found himself bonded to the woman that became the mother of his son.

"And when did you plan on coming here to tell me?" the king asked him. "You could have returned here, long ago."

"Yes, father," Isshin started, "By rights when she died, I was released from the soul-bond that connected us." He did have every opportunity to return to Soul Society and his father, but with the children being so young his father couldn't really expect him to leave them. "Did you think I would leave my children alone in that world, without protection? Sorry if I'm not callous like other fathers."

The Soul King picked his son up once again by the neck and slammed him into the ground. "You are all alike, my children! One binds himself to a Quincy; the other binds herself to a damn Hollow!"

"She did?" Isshin asked now. "That's good," he smiled broadly. He knew his father was going to bash him again for the statement, but he was happy to find that his lost sister was found and happy.

After slamming his son once again into the floor of the courtroom, he asserted, "I allowed you to stay in the human world with the condition that you would be better able to find my precious daughter. Instead that outlaw Shinigami finds her and she becomes the wife of an Espada!"

"Dad," Isshin spoke softly now. "That hollow will be the best thing for her, he would die for her." He looked in his father's eyes and knew this to be true. "He has already given his life for her, and not once but twice." He was dropped to the ground now. "Besides, before the hollow, she had designs on your grandson, how bad do you think THAT would have turned out!?"

The king thought on this, and made a huff sound. "Well, it doesn't matter now, but you still have a task to finish there."

"I know, dad," Isshin smart-mouthed his father again. He received a punch in the mouth for his efforts. "Gahd! MOM! Get him to stop this shit!" he bellowed like a child.

"Well, I'm half in agreement with your father, Isshin," from the side of the King, walked Shiba Miki, the same woman that was Inoue Orihime's soul mother. "The time is approaching Isshin, for the boy to know who he really is."

"I understand, mother," he said softly. "But I will not say anything to him, not until his power is restored and he absolutely needs to know."

"The outlaw will restore your son," Miki said, then added, "And not just his power… but his resolve as well." Isshin gave his mother a questioning look, but left it at that.

"As for the timing in telling him," the Soul King interjected. "It will be the ninth year in 5 months." The Royal family looked to each other, and all knew what was to be expected of them in the coming months.

Ulquiorra came from behind his wife, and held her close to him, "Even though we have spent 6 years together in our inner world, we have only returned to each other in this one." He turned Orihime around to face him. "I want to relive that time with you here." She smiled as his lips claimed hers.

Orihime led him through her home, to her room in the back. She lifted her hands to touch his cheeks. When she returned Ulquiorra's essence to him, she also returned the one thing he stated that he missed. She inched her fingers along the green etchings that were now displayed on them. He reached down to lift her from the ground, holding her by her upper thighs. The Cero turned his wife's back into the wall behind him, and held her there. Orihime wrapped her legs around her husband's waist, lifted her vest and unbuttoned her shirt as swiftly as she possible.

Ulquiorra grasped one plump breast and sucked it into his mouth. The moan coming from his woman, sent chills of excitement down his spine. While still pressing her to the wall, Ulquiorra ripped at her underwear. He lifted Orihime up so he could place his lips to her lower ones; her legs were now positioned on his shoulders. She threaded her fingers into the Cero's hair, holding him to her. A cry of ecstasy escaped from his princess's throat. He loved the feel of Orihime's legs quivering around him as he licked and flicked his tongue on her.

Ulquiorra slid his wife down his body, and pulled her in close for another breath stealing kiss. Orihime glided her hands down to unclasp his jeans, and remove them from his frame. He pulled her off the wall and guided her to her mattress. Setting her there, he skimmed her skirt off. He leaned over her sitting figure, cupped her nape and tugged her head to the side as he licked and nipped his way down the princess's neck.

Orihime brought her hands to her husband's chest, and slinked them down his sides until they rested at his erection. Stroking her hands slowly along his length, she shifted her lips to him. Opening her mouth, Orihime circled her tongue over the tip. The Cero jerked his hips slightly at the action, and touched a hand to her cheek. She looked up at her lover to find his head thrown back in elation. Orihime hummed lightly as her wet mouth and lips performed a dance on him. Teasing and suckling on Ulquiorra's member. When his gasps came in shorter pants, she removed her mouth from him. He gave her a wicked smile, pushed her down and pressed his body above hers.

Spreading her thighs wide, he hooked one leg to his shoulder, while Orihime wrapped the other around his waist. He glided in and out of her warm, moist body as she pressed Ulquiorra's face to her chest. Her inner walls were tight and squeezing him, he didn't think he could last. His wife moaned and gasped as he thrust himself into her. Ulquiorra lifted his upper body from the woman beneath him. He held her thigh up as he continued to push harder for his princess.

Orihime slid a hand to one of her breasts and squeezed it roughly, as her other hand found its way to the space between her and her man forming a tight "v". As he slid into her, her sinful fingers squeezed him firmly, causing a fierce and intense sensation to course through them both. He could feel his wife's orgasm approach and Ulquiorra could hold on no longer. As she screamed her pleasure, he gave one long final thrust before spilling his seed into her.

They lay on her bed in the afterglow of their lovemaking, clasped to each other. Orihime spoke first, "I think you'll have to register for school, there is still one more year left before I graduate."

The Espada looked to his wife, in bafflement. "Onna, do you honestly think I am going to high school? Ridiculous!"

The princess rose from her place on the bed, she had her melancholic eyes glaring at him. "But, then I won't be able to introduce you to all my friends there, or get to introduce you to them as my boyfriend!"

"Boyfriend!?" Ulquiorra bawled. "Tsuma! I'm not your boyfriend, I am your husband!" He grabbed his wife by the waist and flipped her beneath him. "And that is how you can introduce me to your friends."

Orihime smiled brightly, "Well to do that… we'd have to have an actual wedding here in the Human World."

"So?" the Cero countered. "We will be married then, in this world." The Espada kissed his way down his woman's body, "I'm sorry but I find my intelligence too advanced for high school, so I will join the next level of education here." Ulquiorra tongued his way back up again. "I'll be your university student, husband."

She giggled at his words, but moaned at his ministrations. She pulled the man before her down and turned him now to his back, "Oh I think I like that idea better." It was her turn to use her tongue in devilish ways on his body. Orihime slicked her way down and rested mouth at his growing erection. As she was about to place her husband's member into her mouth, the beeping of her phone sounded in the room. "Oh my Gahd! Are you kidding me, right now!?" she jumped from her position on the bed, and grabbed at the phone. After reading the message, she threw the device to the ground and crawled her way back to the man on her bed.

"What was that all about?" Ulquiorra asked.

Orihime found her way back to her place she left, "It was Urahara-san. Honestly he must know everything!" she sucked her husband's length into her mouth and flicked her way from the bottom to the tip.

"Ahh, Haaahh… Wha... did he want?" the Cero spoke with difficulty, his wife's mouth was evil.

Briefly removing her mouth from him, only to answer his question she answered, "He needs to discuss something with me, but he also said it could wait until… we've… umm… finished." With that the princess showed her husband how much she'd worship _him_ as her king.

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**A/N: It has a happy ending… literally :P I'll be working on the Grimmnel and posting that one soon. Now I've also got an Ichigo story brewing, but I don't know how well my audience will take that one. Guess I'll just have to post it and find out :D See Ya's!**

**Quick Update: ameranthus13 asked if this will be a series and the answer is, yes. The stories will all be loosely connected to each other. The new Grimmnel will be ready in about a week, Get ready for some serious hilarity... that's all I'm gonna say.**

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Kisuke

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